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A LIFE OF SERVICE,

OR,

Woman's Work in the Church.

BY SARA MORRILL.

"Small service is true service while it lasts;
Of friends however humble scorn not one;
The daisy, by the shadow which it casts,
Protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun .

MILWAUKEE, WIS.:
THE YOUNG CHURCHMAN Co.,
1894.

Copyright by
THE YOUNG CHURCHMAN CO.,
1893.

Pbess of Houtkamp & Cakkok,
milwaukee, wis.

Prefatory Note.
These letters to a-friend who asked some directions about
Church work, appeared some years ago in a religious paper,
and are reprinted by request. S. M.

Dedicated TO
MRS. TELFAIR HODGSON,
OF
Sewanee, Tenn.,
who gives to us a daily illustration
of a life of consecrated

S. M.

Sewcmee, Tenw..\
July, 189S. j

CONTENTS.

Letter i.
Letter ii.
Letter iii.
Letter iv.
Letter v.
Letter vi.
Letter vii.
Letter viii.
Letter ix.
Letter x.
Letter xi.
Letter xii.
Letter xiii.
Letter xiv.
Letter xv.
Letter xvi.
Letter xvii.
Letter xviii.
Letter xix.

Motives,
System, Prayer,
Selection,
The Sunday School,
The Sunday School,
Lent,
Sorrow,
The Mothers' Mission,
The Sewing School,
Visiting the Poor,
Almsgiving,
Culture,Sensitiveness,
Controversy, Right Judgment,
The Bible Class,
Manners,Little Things,

PAGE 9
17
273748
60 74
88
102
1 12
117 124
131
138 146
153
160 168
177

0 CONTENTS. PAGE
Letter xx. Obedience, 185
Letter xxi. The Care of the Sick, 193
Letter xxii. Health, 203
Letter xxiii. Travelling, 211
Letter xxiv. Care, 22 1
Letter xxv. Dress, 221)
Letter xxvi. Delicacy, 238
Letter xxvii. Conversation, 247
Letter xxviii. Gossip, 258
Letter xxix. Mistakes, 268
Letter xxx. The Study of the Bible, 278
Lettei xxxi. Contentment, 287
Letter xxxii. Gratitude, 297

A LIFE OF SERVICE,

Woman's Work in the Chueoh.

LETTER I
MOTIVES.
"In a service which Thy will appoints
There are no bonds for me;
For my inmost heart is taught the Truth
That makes Thy children free;
And a Jife of self-renouncing love
Is a life of liberty." A. L. Waring.
Y Dear L  : I have not been unmind
ful of my promise to give you some thoughts
and directions about Church work, but I have
been thus tardy in its fulfilment because there
has been so much that is good and true written
upon the subject, that I can only repeat the
substance of what wiser people have said before.

10 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
There is nothing new under the sun. "The
thing that hath been, it is that which shall be;
and that which is done is that which shall be
done'" to the end of time. I am particularly
reminded of these words of Solomon just now,
because on referring to some pages I had ready
for you, I found that St. Augustine, St. Francis
de Sales and Fenelon have given substantially
the same directions. So we will go back further
even than these old worthies, to the Sacred
Book from which, studied under the enlightening
influence of the Holy Spirit, they had their
wonderful wisdom.
First, then, as to the motive that should
im£)el you to a more thorough consecration of
yourself to the service of God: "Whatsoever
ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus;" because "Christ also hath loved
us, and hath given Himself for us." Keep this
continually in mind, and let the thought of the
hymn we learned in childhood be the abiding
spirit of your life: "In all his daily duties
He diligent must be,
And say, whate'er I do, O Lord,
I do it unto Thee."

MOTIVES. 11
Acting thus from the highest motives, you
will have a calmness and elevation of thought
and mind that will lift you above many of the
little annoyances that will constantly beset you.
Let no pressure, then, of occupation crowd
from your mind the thought that God's glory
is your ruling motive. Make the words of the
invocation in the Office for the Holy Communion
the constant expression of your heart: "And
here we offer and present unto Thee, O Lord,
ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reason
able, holy and living sacrifice unto Thee."
To come up to the full stature of the perfect
man in Christ Jesus, we must love as He loved —
always, everywhere and everybody. Wherever
a human heart beats there is sin, and, therefore,
suffering. To teach the guilty one the penalty
and the remedy for his sin and to comfort the
suffering, is the Christian's high duty, and the
limit to it is simply the capacity God has given
us. Study your own nature and see if you do
not put this limit too low. Let each of .us ask
ourselves the question: "What am I doing for
the Master?" Am I using every power in His

12 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
service, and can it be said of me as of the
penitent woman in the Gospel, who bathed His
sacred feet with her tears and wiped them with
the hairs of her head, "Her sins which are many,
are forgiven, for she loved much?"
If love, then, be the ruling principle of our
lives, we will live in daily and hourly dependence
upon God, the source of all love, asking every
morning in childlike simplicity, "Lord what
wouldst Thou have me do this day?" Accept
every little incident, accident, interruption,
vexation and duty as coming from a Father's
hand and believe that even though we mourn
over "A thousand failures, what are these
In the sight of the One All Perfect,
Who, whether man fails in work or succeeds,
Builds surely, solemn'y up from our broken days and deeds
The infinite purpose of Time."
But, you may say, the necessity of my daily
life leaves me little leisure for what is distinct
ively called "Church work." The most
successful workers in a womanly sphere I have
ever seen have been busy wives and mothers,
who cared for their large families, managed
small incomes to meet great demands, and yet

MOTIVES. 13
always had a heart to love and a hand to help
God's poor.
Ours is a day of boundless activity ; the whole
Christian world is up and doing, and all over
this fair land of ours there are centres of work
whose influence is felt to its remotest borders.
Wise men are perfecting plans and systematis-
ing efforts whose spasmodic character in the
past has interfered with their success.
Perhaps a large town offers the best field to
observe the faithful laborer at his post. In a
great city the attractions of outside objects are
so numerous that it is hard to see, amid the
whirl of modern life, where time can be found
and the quietness of spirit attained that is
needed. Yet, doubtless the very effort demanded to
resist these attractions strengthens the character
and makes the work more efficient, if in the
parish to which you belong the clergy live in
daily remembrance of their ordination vows and
"search for the sick, poor and impotent people,"
and teach the flock committed to their care with
all diligence to do the same.

14 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
Under the guidance of a faithful rector you
will soon have such a field of duty assigned to
you as will fill the portion of time you decide
you can devote to outside work. If you have
grown up under the eye of your rector, he will
probably know even better than you do your
self, for what department of service you are
most fitted. Some have unusual gifts for
teaching — a gentleness, patience, enthusiasm
and tact that are brought out most fully in the
Sunday and parish schools.
For a visitor among the poor, after a deep
love and reverence for humanity, under all the
forms that sorrow and suffering may stamp upon
it, the qualities most requisite are sound
common sense, cheerfulness, courage and per
severance. Good judgment, in many cases, is
a natural gift, but it may be cultivated and
acquired by constant observation and attention
to the lessons taught by experience.
You will daily feel the need of this, and
remember that its Source is ever open to you.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above and cometh down from the Father of
lights." "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask

MOTIVES. 15
of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraidethnot; and it shall be given unto him."
Incorporate in your daily prayer a special one
like the Collect for Whitsun Day : "Grant us by
the same spirit to have a right judgment in all
things." Be always and everywhere a learner; think
carefully in each case of failure where you
might have done better, and, finding the cause
avoid it in future. Observe the daily conduct
of the most successful people you meet, and see
why they succeed where so many fail. In the
business world certain qualities are essential to
prosperity, and success is the reward of the
judicious, earnest, untiring and faithful seeker,
— not the chance prize of the fortunate. Many
cannot prosper because from ignorance, indo
lence, carelessness in details, want of judgment,
or honesty; they do not deserve to do so.
If you are naturally of an excitable tempera
ment, study by habitual discipline to control it.
One of the most effectual methods of doing this
is to exercise rigid supervision over your speech.
Be very careful of your facts in making any

16 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
statement, and, above all, never impute wrong
motives to others.
To obey the Scriptural injunction and "pray
without ceasing," we must live always in a
spirit of prayer, so that everything will direct
our hearts to Him who heareth prayer. When
you are tempted to evil speaking, or to rash or
angry words, ask God to help you, and the heart
felt petition will restore your self-control.
If your motive is pure, you will avoid many
occasions in which the seeker after human praise
or earthly reward will meet only disappointment
and chagrin.

LETTER II.

SYSTEM.

"Our many deeds, the thoughts that we have thought.
They go out from us thronging every hour,
And in them all is folded up a power
That on the earth will move them to and fro;
And mighty are the marvels they have wrought
In hearts they know not, and may never know."
F. W. Fabek.

EXT to the motives that impel us to the
Master's service, and the spirit in which
we work, the most important thing is the order
and regularity that should characterize our
efforts. Undoubtedly there is much good done
in a scrambling, uncertain fashion, because
impulsive people have a dash about them that
carries them over many obstacles.
When these impulses are purified by the
grace of God they are very effectual, for genuine
feeling is always influential, and earnestness is
a mighty power. But when it submits meekly

18 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
to rules, and humbly lays aside wilfulness at the
foot of the cross, this influence and power is
increased tenfold.
"Order is Heaven's first law" was the motto
in an old fashioned school room some of us
well remember; and looking back to the presiding
spirit of those bright days, we have a happy
instance of chastened impetuosity and restrained
vehemence of character, that aroused our
enthusiastic affection; and even now the
recollection animates us to imitation. It is well
to recall such friends; and when they have
passed up higher into other chambers of our
Father's "many mansions,'" and find rest where
labour never wearies, let us recount their
virtues, and find comfort and patience from
their blessed example.
You kindly tell me, dear L  , to be as
"discursive" as I please; and as I only hope to
suggest to you, from perhaps a larger experience
rules that have seemed to me essential to success
in any branch of Church work, I think it is
well to recall memories of this faithful labourer
in the vineyard of the Lord, who has just laid
her earthly armor by. Circumstances prevented

SYSTEM. 19
me from placing a funeral wreath upon her
grave, but I thought of the saying of Jean
Paul: "The fairest funeral wreath we can offer
upon the cold tomb of the departed is to imitate
their good deeds." The battle of life is such a
fierce struggle to some ardent natures, and their
eagerness to rush into the conflict often seems
to send them there
"With their forces all unmarshaled.
With their weapons all undrawn,"
and cooler, quieter natures find victory where
they seem to meet only ignominious defeat.
Such was our dear old friend and teacher
when, in the first flush of youthful courage, she
heeded not the many and heavy burdens that
Providence early laid upon her, but began her
life-long war against the world, the flesh and the
devil. In many and sore trials, in seemingly
crushing defeats, her constant reliance upon the
tender mercy that watched over the battle never
failed, for she had that highest triumph of
faith— '¦The instinct that can tell
That God is on the field when He
Is most invisible."

20 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in
Him," was the language of her heart and lips.
Habitual self-discipline and the sweetness of
Christ's love diffused over her heart and life,
at last brought outward calmness and a deep
inward peace, which was that "which passeth
all understanding." This enabled her to be
"troubled on every side, yet not distressed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but
not forsaken: cast down, but not destroyed."
It is well to learn the happy secret of such a
life, the source of such a marvellous strength
made perfect in weakness. It was simply a life
"Hid with Christ in God" and the never failing
spring of love, joy and guidance which flows
from the Hock of Ages when touched by the
rod of prayer. "And we also bless Thy Holy
Name for all Thy servants departed this life in
Thy faith and fear; beseeching Thee to give us
grace so to follow their good examples, that
with them we may be partakers of Thy heavenly
Kingdom. "
"Pray without ceasing, because in this way
alone we can supply our weakness from Christ's
strength, our ignorance from His wisdom, and

SYSTEM. 21
our blindness from His light. Not to be always
on our knees to the neglect of pressing duties,
not to have books of devotion always in our
hands, but to have the spirit of prayer always in
our hearts, and "casting down imaginations in
every high thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ."
When this is done, all our lives will be
moulded and guided by the power of prayer
and the Apostolic precept obeyed. Next to
prayer, system seems to be most essential to
success in any undertaking. Order your whole
conduct by strict rules; anticipate emergencies
and provide beforehand for every duty. A
towering intellect, a mighty genius may perhaps
dispense with such discipline, though history
proves that when they do, mental, physical or
spiritual wreck is often the consequence. But
persons of ordinary minds and usual education
find untold help from a systematic preparation
for the chances and changes of this mortal life.
Study the works of the best of men and see
the rules that guided them, and form from them
directions for self-government. Particularly

22 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
would I recommend those wonderful books of
A'Kempis, "The Imitation of Christ" and "The
Soul's Soliloquy." Read them constantly, but
do not be discouraged because their standard
seems to you impossibly high. Follow the
direction of St. Francis de Sales where he says:
"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have
patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in
considering your own imperfections, but in
stantly set about remedying them; every day
begin the task anew. The best method for
attaining to Christian perfection is to be aware
that you have not reached, it, and never be
weary of recommencing. For, in the first place,
how can you patiently bear your brother's
burden if you will not bear your own?"
Fill your mind with such thoughts, and
they will come to you in times of trial like an
angel's voice and throw light on many a dark
ened way. Sensitive people with strong feelings
know how difficult it is to restrain expressions
when unusually moved to indignation, and how
much harm is done by vehemence even when
the emotion is a right one. Think, in such a
case, of this rule of de Sales: "Be always as

SYSTEM. 28
mild as you can: a spoonful of honey attracts
more flies than a barrel of vinegar." If you
must fall into any extreme, let it be on the side
of gentleness. The human mind is so construct
ed that it resists vigor and yields to softness.
A mild word quenches anger as water quenches
the rage of the fire, and by benignity any soil
may be rendered fruitful. "Truth, uttered with
courtesy, is heaping coals of fire on the head, or
rather, throwing roses in the face."
Examine yourself daily as to whether you
have failed in obedience to your self-chosen
rules, as well as in the directions given by those
in authority over you. Failure in the latter
will often bring disorder into many well
arranged plans, but the former may be known
only to yourself and your God. Yet the result of
disobedience will be none the less positive upon
your own spiritual growth, as well as your
general efficiency. "Know ye not that
they which run in a race, run all, but one
receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may
obtain." To do this, every direction of St.
Paul to the Christian athlete must be strictly
observed. To be "temperate in all things," "to

24 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
keep under my body and bring it into subjec
tion," "forgetting those things which are behind
and reaching forth unto those things which are
before," "redeeming the time," and "putting on
the whole armour of God."
Remember always, the spirit in which we
work is far more important than the work
itself, and good actions are often of little service
to the doer or the recipient because marred by
self-seeking egotism and boastfulness. "Except
ye be converted and become as little children
ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven."
The simplicity, the purity of childhood, must
come back to world-worn hearts before they can
be faithful labourers in the vineyard of the
Lord. I recollect being greatly startled at the
declaration of an aged clergyman, in conversing
of a church that had recently been consecrated
in a rural neighbourhood. It was the gift of one
person, and of fair proportions, and costly mate
rial. It stood on the hill top, beautiful for situa
tion, and at evening its sweet chime of bells rang
out pleasantly on the still air. Beneath the
Chancel window was the inscription, "To the

SYSTEM. 25
Glory of God and in pious memory of E. B."
My old friend objected to this, saying, "Angels
work to the glory of God, but men never." I
asked what then he supposed the ruling motive
in the builder of this church.
He answered that "men's motives were
always so mixed that it was difficult to say which
predominated: the love of human praise,
to increase the value of neighbouring property,
to elevate the condition of the people about,
and give the blessing of the Church's minis
trations to a community where they were
unknown." This was in days when I thought
years only should speak and age meant always
wisdom, but I know now that there are thous
ands of humble Christians every where, who
have heeded the injunction,
"O learn to scorn the praise of men!
O learn to lose with God,"
and who are quietly, prayerfully, and in
ways almost unknown of men, living to the
glory of God.
And to the credit of the age be it said, that
there are men in high position and of great

26 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
wealth, who say with Gregory Nazianzen: "If I
have any possessions, health, credit, learning.
this is all the contentment I have of them, that
I have somewhat I may despise for Christ, who
is totus desiderabilis, et totum desiderabile"1
( the all desirable one, the everything desirable).
But the vehemence of my old friend made a
strong impression and taught me the great
watchfulness required to keep our hearts simple
and our motives pure. "Thy will be done on
earth as it is in Heaven." Jeremy Taylor says
that we who pray thus "must remember that
the angels do whatsoever is commanded them.
and go wherever they are sent, and refuse no
circumstances, and if their employment be
crossed by a higher decree, they sit down in
peace and rejoice in the event.'"

LETTER III.
PRAYER.
Prayer blots out sins, repels temptations, quenches
persecutions, comforts the desponding, blesses the high
minded, guides the wanierers, calms the billows, feeds
the poor, directs the rich, raises the fallen, holds up the
falling, preserves them that stand. Tertullian.
(J|NE of the first rules for a religious life must
»— ' be the observance of set times for private
devotion, and to obtain the leisure for this it will
be necessary for you to become an early riser.
If your health is even tolerably good, you will
find no difficulty in forming a habit of this kind,
and you will be astonished to discover how much
order and regularity it will enable you to intro
duce into your life. One hour before breakfast,
in the quiet and cool of the early morning given
to prayer and devotional reading, will leave its
impress upon the rest of the day, and give you

28 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
strength for the duties and temptations it will
bring you.
If you have access to many books, you will
find in the early Fathers of the Church, and in
some of the old English divines, an unfailing
treasury of devotion . Make from them a manu
script book of prayers, and copy into it any
petition that seems to express your soul's
particular needs.
Bishop Andrewes' and Jeremy Taylor's works
are full of devout thoughts, and Fenelon, Pascal
and Massillon will give you many themes for
devotional musing. Human hearts are the same
in all ages and have the same hopes and fears.
the same desires and temptations, and you will
find in the quaint expressions and forcible
language of these old writers a perpetual
freshness that rivets the attention and touches
the heart.
If your actions and duties are mainly con
trolled by others, you will generally be able to
secure leisure for your devotions by this early
rising, when you cannot in any other way, for
most people have to take up the thread of life
immediately after the morning meal is over and

PRAYER. 29
need the calmness and strength they have found
in prayer, at once.
If it is your happy lot to live in a parish
where Daily Morning and Evening Prayer is said,
try and arrange your business to attend as often
as possible. If your family is large, at least
send one representative to each service. One of
the pleasantest signs of the times is the largely
increased attendance in parishes where this has
been a rule for many years, and steady growth
in the spiritual life is noticeable among those
who avail themselves of this means of grace.
But it requires much carefulness in the man
agement of duties to give the leisure for this,
and you must make no one the sufferer by your
absence from home. In Advent and Lent, you
will find large families in constant attendance
upon Daily Prayer, without interfering with
those systematic arrangements which conduce
so much to the peace and happiness of daily life.
If you are so unfortunate as to live in an
irreligious atmosphere, you will find every step
in your path of duty requires the utmost circum
spection. Obey the injunction of one of the
early Fathers, and "strive to live so that our

30

A LIFE OF SERVICE.

Master may be remembered when you are seen,"
but avoid all unnecessary speech about your
personal Christian duty. Above all, make no
parade of elaborate plans of what you intend to
do and sacrifice.
"Ever on earth men block out Babels to build
Babylons," but it is none the less unpleasant to
have unkindly eyes watching to see how soon
these much-talked of purposes will be forgotten,
or altogether fail. Form your plans with delib
eration, but say very little about them, save to
those whose consent and advice is essential to
their fulfilment. Beware of open asceticism
and withdrawing yourself wholly from the pleas
ures and amusements of others. You will find
many little ways of denying yourself and exer
cising strict self-discipline without attracting
attention. If you are obliged to live among
people who are openly opposed to religion, you
must be constantly watchful lest you imbibe
something of their spirit, or allow their opinions
to influence you unduly.
You have doubtless been shocked to hear
expressions that seemed to you profane from the
lips of ladies whom you know to be refined and

PRAYER. 8]
religious. I have heard them quote the opinions
of members of their families about Christian
people and speak of the lives of the Saints of
old, the Bible and the Church, in a manner that
is truly painful to devout minds. Exclamations
that verge on impiety, too, are heard in such
families. "Goodness, Gracious!" "Good Fath
er!" and other forms of mentioning the Deity
carelessly, come within the scope of the Third
Commandment, and are not only unrefined, but
profane. The only possible excuse for this is that
many women have the unreflecting habit of
repeating what they hear, scarcely conscious
how gross and offensive the sentiments of their
irreligious friends are, from being accustomed
to their expression. One witty man, with no
fear of God before his eyes to restrain him from
aiming his arrows at sacred themes, will some
times affect a whole community, and his influ
ence will penetrate to circles, from which he
himself would be excluded, by the repetitions
and comments of admiring relatives.
The quaintness to modern ears of many old
Saxon words used in the Bible, makes it peril
ously easy to point jests from them. Avoid this

32

A LIFE OF SERVICE.

most scrupulously, for by repeating such things
you deepen the impression they make on your
mind, or perhaps fasten a ridiculous association
with sacred words in a youthful memory, from
which you can never erase it.
Few enemies more effectually disturb our
peace than such unhallowed jests. They will,
by the ready devices of the great enemy of souls,
recur to our thoughts in our most holy moments.
and our hours of prayer and devout meditations
will often be marred by the efforts we are obliged
to make for their banishment. If your sense of
the humorous is strong, you must particularly
beware of the society and works of those who
indulge in such a pernicious habit.
If it. is impossible for you to avoid their
company, try and close your ears to their con
versation, do not touch their books, and above
all, never draw attention to their profane wit'
or repeat it to others.
The early Christians were accustomed to
observe, beside the morning and evening, three
particular hours of the day for devotion, and
many persons find comfort in still recalling them
by prayer. The third hour, or nine o'clock in

PRAYER. 33
the morning, at which time the Holy Ghost
came down, the sixth, or noon, when our
Blessed Lord was crucified, and the ninth, or
three in the aftenoon, when —
"The strife
Long and sharp was ended,
Gently to His Father's hands,
He His soul commended."
David said: "In the evening and morning
and at noonday I will pray and that instantly,
and He shall hear my voice," and "Seven times
a day do I praise Thee, because of Thy righteous
judgments." Such was his holy zeal and fervor
that he wrote, "Mine eyes prevent the night
watches, that I might meditate in Thy word," and
"at midnight I will rise to give thanks unto
Thee." Surely we will find help and consola
tion in imitating his example. When the clock
strikes, repeat some short petition, as — "Be
with me now and at the hour of my death," and
recall some promise or admonition from Holy
Writ for your comfort and guidance. In this
way your life will be guarded and your conver
sation moulded by prayer.
Accustom yourself to observing the holy
seasons appointed by the Church in private as

34 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
well as in public, and dwell much upon the cen
tral facts whose truths are taught particularly
there. As I write, it is the Epiphany season,
and the humanity of our Blessed Lord is set
forth; each week a new manifestation being
brought from the holy gospel for our learning.
The leading of a star led the wise men from
the East to worship the new-born King, and
falling in their wisdom humbly at His feet, they
offered gold for His royalty, frankincense for
His priesthood, and myrrh for His humanity.
See that you follow their example, and give
always of your best to the Lord; bring an offer
ing whenever you go to worship at His feet, and
remember His fellow feeling for those who with
Him drink of "the bitter myrrh of grief."
At this time, too, learn from the example of
the holy Simeon and the devout Anna, who
"departed not from the Temple, but served God
with fasting and prayers night and day," "wait
ing for the consolation of Israel," how the faith
ful performance of daily duty is rewarded. The
Lord whom they sought, came suddenly to His
temple, and their aged eyes saw His salvation —
"a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of

PRAYER. 00
Thy people Israel." And now the Holy Church
throughout all the world sings of Simeon's glad
ness in the Nunc Dimittis, and many share it
when after years of faithful service and patient
waiting the Lord grants them the desire of their
hearts, and they are ready to "depart in peace."
Each season and festival appointed by the
Church will bring you its own lesson, and it is
well to learn it humbly and endeavor to practice
it at once. Teach your scholars in the Sunday
and parish schools, and all young people who
come under your influence, to mark the
appointed days, and endeavor to make each of
them recognize their beauty and importance.
But beware of thinking that because you
observe them it gives you any claims to superior
sanctity; rather consider it a blessed privilege
God has given you in placing you where you
can do so, and pray that this same blessing may
be given to others. Let the very fact of your
possessing it make you humble. "He that
regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord,"
and this should make you very careful not to
judge those who "regard it not." Faber says:

36 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
'The Church, the Sacraments, the Faith,
Their uphill journey take;
Lose here, what there they gain, and if
We lean upon them break."
Many things are wonderful helps to a life of
holiness, but in using them we must not forget
the old Father who wrote seventeen hundred
years ago — "Lean upon Christ; He will not
withdraw to let you fall."

LETTER IV
SELECTION.
God is master of the scenes; we must not choose
which part we shall act; it concerns us only to be careful
that we do it wt 11 . Jeremy Taylor.
Let him who gropes painfully in darkness or uncer
tain light, and prays vehemently that the dawn may
ripen into day, lay this other precept well to heart, which
was to me of incalculable service. Do the duty which
lies nearest thee, which thon knowest to be a duty;
thy second duty will already become clearer.
Sartor Resabtt'S.
TITOU suggest that I should write more parti c-
^- ularly of each branch of what is distinct
ively called "Church Work," that you may
decide which is your especial field, and you
speak of the difficulty which the decision
involves. I think if you will reflect upon the
wise sayings of good Bishop Taylor and the
quaint utterances of CaiTyle, you will learn
more wisdom than from any hints of mine.
Please remember, in giving thern, I do not
claim the least originality, but can only say each

38 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
thought has been fully tried in real plans and
places, and each suggestion has been taught by
experience. In relation to forming plans it is very
important to observe this rule, and not do so
from theory merely. Build, if possible, on old
foundations, for while it is easy to sit in a
comfortable study and put upon paper pleasant
dreams for the management of others, the world
can never be governed thus. Every item must
be submitted to the stern test of actual proof,
and you can never calculate the amount of force
required to produce a certain effect until you
know the exact resistance that is to be over
come. Plans, seemingly poor ones, often work
better than some appearing much fairer, that
have never been tried.
If you go to a new place and find a parish
working under what you judge to be great
defects of organization, do not be hasty in
condemning them or proposing change. Try
faithfully what can be done in the old ways
before proposing alterations. If these are
really based upon radical errors, if you are
quick and observant, you can find many little

SELECTION. 39
methods of introducing reforms without excit
ing enmity. Be very careful always in speaking
of any good work that proceeds from right
motives, even if it seems to you faulty in design
and imperfect in execution. Carelessness,
disobedience and hasty yielding to impulse will
bring confusion into the best arranged schemes,
while painstaking faithfulness in little things
and constant, persevering and prayerful efforts
will bring good out of evil.
In every parish where you are likely to live,
you will find a Sunday School, and your educa
tion fits you to take part in it. Do not wait to
be asked, but at once offer your services to the
rector, or superintendent. If you are in a new
home, it is always best to bring a letter from
your former rector which you should immedi
ately present. Congregations in towns and
cities fluctuate so constantly that it is impossi
ble for you at once to begin your true course of
duty in a strange place without you make
yourself known to the proper authorities.
Never allow yourself to cherish any hurt
feeling because you have not been asked to join
in any good work. Remember that it is God's

40 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
work, and the motive that prompts you to
engage in it, is the love of His Son Jesus; it is
a blessed privilege to be allowed to take the
least part in building up His Kingdom, and "in
the royal galley of divine love there is no force,
the rowers are all volunteers."
If there should be no vacant class at once,
be content to take temporary charge of any
whose teacher may be absent, and throw your
heart into this work just as much as if it was
your own particular class. It is undoubtedly
pleasanter and better to have one regular set of
children whose character and dispositions you
may study and adapt your teachings to their
individual capacities, and if you are to remain
for any length of time in one place, you should
look forward to this. Always prepare yourself
carefully for your instruction, and study the
whole lesson faithfully.
The arrangement of the Sundays in the
Christian year brings each fact in the life of our
Blessed Lord into prominence, and each of the
doctrines of the "faith once delivered to the
saints." You must yourself steadfastly believe
in these facts and doctrines, not with a languid

SELECTION. 41
acquiescense, but with the hearty earnestness
that comes with the full conviction of their
truth .
Unless you do so, I do not think it is well
for you to attempt to teach others. If in hours
of despondency, doubts suggested by the great
enemy of souls, come into your mind, do not
cherish them, but drive them out by prayer and
action. Do not attempt to reason them or bring
forward arguments, but only pray.
In calmer hours, when the darkness has
passed, examine the foundation of your faith
and "prove all things," "holding fast to that
which is good." Study what the wisest and
best of men have written in explanation of the
holy mysteries of the Word of God, and be
assured that as one of them has said, to take it
"always as our directory, is to walk upon a path
which, whether rugged or smooth, overshadowed
or illuminated, shall bring us at length to
immortality and joy."
One other thought from "Saturday Evening,"
maybe of service to' you here: "Now we need
wish, if rightly minded, for nothing more (when
once convinced that the Bible is from God)

42 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
than to rest quietly upon its implicit disregard
of the doubts which so much disturb our peace.
For we may safely infer from the manifest
tranquillity of the messengers from Heaven that
all is well, if looked upon from a point suffi
ciently high. Just as when a father, stationed
on an eminence, is watching the progress of
his sons through a labyrinth. They may confi
dently presume their course is a right one, so
long as they see a cheerful smile on his face."
The next requisite for the faithful teaching
of a class in Sunday School, after careful prepa
ration and full convictions of the truths to be
taught, is punctuality. Unless you can reason
ably expect to be able to fulfil this requirement,
it is hardly worth while for you to take charge
of a regular class. If others have the direction
of your affairs, so that you cannot be present
when the school opens, you had better select
some other field for usefulness, for two or three
unfaithful teachers in this respect will bring an
element of confusion and disorder into a whole
school. Who cannnot recall the sadly familiar
spectacle of a large class whispering, crowding,

SELECTION. 43
playing tricks upon other classes near, throwing
the books about, scraping their feet, and by
many annoying ways showing to the whole
school the absence of their teacher.
One insubordinate regiment will sometimes
affect a whole army, and it is the same in all
bodies where numbers render discipline essen
tial. I have heard teachers excuse themselves
by saying, "But I was only absent from the
opening devotions, and was ready to begin
teaching at the usual hour." Think what
disrespect is implied in such a plea.
Before engaging in the deeply important
¦work of training young minds and hearts to love
and serve their God, you ask His blessing
upon your labors, you confess your infirmities,
you ask His assistance, and you render your
tribute of praise and thanksgiving. Yet you
stay away yourself, not perhaps wilfully, but
because you have not made the careful prepara
tion to be punctual, that, if you live among
indifferent people, the effort to be so requires.
Let your dress be more simple, if possible,
on Sundays than other days, so that no unusual
time may be consumed in the duties of the

44 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
toilet. Be always neat and tasteful in apparel,
but particularly upon the Lord's Day avoid all
extravagances of dress and trinkets. I have
seen a class of girls in Sunday School so busily
engaged in counting the bangles that hung from
their teacher's wrist, or so intently studying her
flounces or "knife pleatings," that they could
not attend to her instructions.
You may wear these things with little
thought or self-consciousness about their
becomingness, but it is often a snare to girls
in an humbler station in life, and they, if spoken
to upon the subject, will justify their own imita
tions by saying, "My Sunday School teacher
wears them."
It is said to be peculiarly an American
inelegance to appear in gay, unsuitable clothing
at church; and doubtless, particularly in the
country, you have seen costumes that were
more fitted for the ball-room and theatre than
the sanctuary. Long streamers of brilliantly
tinted ribbons and fluttering laces will come
floating up the aisles during the service in a
way very distracting to the devout worshipper,

SELECTION. 45
and the want of punctuality must often be attribu
ted to the time necessary for the elaborate arrange
ments. If your taste allows you, wear them at
other times. If you wish to be a successful
teacher in the Sunday School, it will be cer
tainly best to lay them aside while engaged in
your duties there.
Endeavor to be in your place at least a few
minutes before the hour of the opening services,
that you may exchange quiet greetings with
your scholars, inquire for their parents, or
relatives, and receive any little confidence they
may like to give you. See that each one has
his Prayer Book and Hymnal, with the Collect
for the Sunday and the Psalter for the day
marked, so as to be found readily in the service.
If a new scholar should be present, find out
his name and residence that you may speedily
call upon him in his own house. Improve these
moments also by enjoining upon the scholars
strict attention and reverence during the reading
of the Gospel and Lessons, and full responses in
the Psalter, Prayers and Creeds. Try to avoid
reproof while the service is going on, by this
advice before-hand, and be always yourself truly

46 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
and unaffectedly reverent in manner and re
sponse. The affection of children is seldom hard
to gain; love them so much that they will be
sure to love you in return, and manifest your
regard by thoughtful attention to their interest
and comfort. Sympathize with their joys and
sorrows, and let them fully understand that their
Sunday School teacher is always and everywhere
their friend. Avoid a light, flippant manner in
addressing them, and ask any little favour in a
polite and respectful way, such as you would
use to the child of an acquaintance. Give as
few commands as possible, but let it be distinctly
understood that they must be immediately
obeyed. Put little matters into the form of a request,
and be sure to make it rather in the light of a
personal favor than the mandate of a superior.
Grave, serious offences against the laws of the
school must be put down at once, and by being
very careful not to overstrain your authority by
peremptorily insisting upon trifling arrange
ments, you will be able to exert it effectually
when the case requires. Make large allowances
for the high spirits of youth, and the mischief

SELECTION. 47
that seems inherent in most children, and be
sparing of reproof for minor offences.
In speaking of your class to others, be very
careful of the terms you apply to them, and do
not readily believe evil of them except upon the
best of evidence. I heard a young lady con
sulting a friend about the best way of managing
a disorderly class, and she spoke of the boys
who composed it as "the little wretches," "the
savages," and "the outrageous young ones." I
could not help thinking that the first step in
their reformation would have to be taken by the
teacher herself, in elevating her thoughts and
refining her language, as well as in learning
the true dignity and importance of training the
young for the service of God.
Everywhere we find untaught, untrained
children, and we should heed the voice with
which they cry to us, saying —
"Give us light amid our darkness.
Let us know the good from ill,
Hate us not for all our blindness,
Lead us, love us, show us kindness,
You may make us what you will.
"We shall be whate'er you make us,
Make us wise and make us good.
Make us strong for times of trial,
Teach us temperance, self-denial,
Patience, kindness, fortitude."

LETTER V
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
"Up to me sweet childhood looketh,
Heart and mind and soul awake,
Teach me of Thy ways, oh Father,
For sweet childhood's sake,
"In their young hearts soft and tender,
Guide my hands good seed to sow,
That its blossoming may praise Thee
Wheresoe'er they go."
tOU have doubtless heard it said repeatedly
that the Sunday School, upon which so
much time, money, strength and labour are
expended, is after all a failure, and that the old-
fashioned way of teaching children before
Robert Raikes' day is best. Let us go back,
say a hundred years, and examine the old paths
in which our fathers walked, and see in what
their superiority consisted.
The exhortation to sponsors, after baptism,
was the same then as now, and they were
reminded that it was "their parts and duties to

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 49
see that this infant be taught, as soon as he shall
be able to learn, what a solemn vow, promise and
profession he hath here made, and that ye shall
call upon him to hear sermons, and chiefly, ye
shall provide that he may learn the Creed, the
Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, in
the vulgar tongue, and all other things which a
Christian ought to know and believe to his soul's
health." Confirmation was solemnly enjoined
as soon as he was "further instructed in the
Church Catechism set forth for that purpose."
The first rubric after the Catechism was, "The
curate of every parish shall diligently, upon
Sunday and holy days, after the Second Lesson
at Evening Prayer, openly, in the church,
instruct and examine so many children of the
parish sent unto him as he shall think conveni
ent, in some part of this Catechism."
"And all fathers, mothers, masters, and dames
shall cause their children, servants and
apprentices (which have not learned their
Catechism), to come to church at the time
appointed, and obediently to hear, and be
ordered by the curate, until such time as they
have learned all that is here appointed for them

50 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
to learn." If these provisions had been faith
fully carried out, I cannot see that anything
was left to be desired in the education of
children in Christian duty.
In families of education and standing,
particularly in the State of Virginia, this was
often done, and when the parish church was at
too great a distance for the children and servants
to attend there regularly, the clergyman would
go from house to house, and assembling them,
often in the spacious hall, would carry out the
spirit, if not the letter, of the old rubric.
Or, if the incumbent from age or infirmity
was unequal to this, the master, and in many
cases the mistress, would call together the
children and the servants and teach them the
Catechism. You occasionally come upon
traces of this old fashion in the reverent
demeanor of the children of those who were
thus taught. I read in my childhood to an old
colored woman, who, although bent with age
and disease, would rise from her seat and bow
reverently at the Most Holy Name; and she
did not consider that any religious instruction

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 51
given to her was complete, until she had said,
"my belief," as "old Mistis" had taught her to do.
I was struck with the intelligence and
understanding of the Catechism shown in
conversation by a middle-aged colored woman
not long since, and asked her where she had
learned it. She said, "my grandmother was
paralyzed for years before her death, but had
all of her faculties of mind. She used to make
us children stand round her bed, every Sunday
evening, and say the Catechism. She was Lady
Washington's maid, and her mistress taught all
her servants to say the Catechism perfectly,
and grandmother never forgot it." So the echo
of a woman's voice once singing through the
halls of Mt. Vernon, has not died out yet; may
that from our Sunday Schools be as lasting !
But these happy homes began to be the
exception rather than the rule.
Through the increase of population and change
in the laws, the growth of towns, and relaxing
of family discipline, hundreds of children were
growing up outside of the Christian fold.
Denial of the holy rite of Baptism to infants
became very common, and people began to

52 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
carp at and criticise the words of the Prayer
Book, even where they followed most closely
those of the Bible.
Parents and sponsors were often careless of
their duties and seemingly forgetful of their
solemn promises. Then came the Sunday
School, at first to gather in the untaught and
neglected children from the streets, but soon
embracing all the young members of the con
gregation, until it is rare to find, in towns of
moderate size, native-born people who have not
been brought under the influence of these
schools. Statistics say that about two-thirds of
the convicts (not foreigners) in our penitentia
ries have been Sunday School scholars at some
time in their lives.
Do not think that this is in the least an
argument against Sunday Schools; it is only a
picture of the world and of the Church every
where. The wheat and the tares grow together
until the time of the harvest, and the same soil,
air, rain and sunshine nourish both. One draws
from them kindly forces and healthy nutriment,
the other noxious gases and poisonous juices,
and everywhere in the mysterious economy of

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 53
nature, the principles of life and death are side
by side. To select and train the one, and so change
the nature or provide an antidote for the other,
is the task given to man's judgment, and its
exercise requires the employment and cultiva
tion of all his faculties.
Each Sunday School is a miniature world,
and those whose high vocation it is to teach
there, cannot be too fully impressed with the
dignity and importance of their work.
"What though unmarked the happy workman toil,
And break unthanked of man, the stubborn clod,
It is enough, for sacred is the soil,
Dear are the hills of Go 1."
Recollect always that it is God's field you are
to cultivate, His children you are to teach and
train, and He alone can give you wisdom to
adapt your teaching to the capacity of each
individual soul committed to your charge.
Perhaps it may be your happy privilege to plant
seed in a young heart that may bring forth fruit
to the glory of God, and the blessing of the
world when your voice is silent in the grave.

54 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
To many children you take the place of
absent or forgetful sponsors, and you should be
careful to remember the solemnity of their
promise. And some, alas, come to Sunday
School from irreligious homes, where God and
duty are almost unknown.
To the latter you must pay especial attention,
for you may be the only one to teach them of
holy things and lead their feet into the way of
peace. This teaching may be the one refining
and humanizing influence that comes into lives
darkened by poverty and sin. Study, then, to
educate your every faculty of mind and body to
fit you for this task, which might well demand
an angel's powers.
"Fail not for sorrow, falter not for sin,
But upward, onward, till the goal you win."
The Sunday School should be strictly subor
dinate to the church. Its main design is to
bring the children of the erring ones back to the
fold from which their parents have wandered, to
train those of the faithful committed to it to an
understanding of their duties and an apprecia
tion of their privileges, and to fit its scholars to

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 55
enter into the prayers and praises of God's
house. It may not always be possible to provide
seats for them in church, though great efforts
should be made to attain this, and impress upon
them the reverence due to the courts of the Lord.
If the children are taught the imperative duty
of self-restraint in the school, they can be made
to understand how much more important it is
to exercise it in church, and refrain from whis
pering, moving their feet, leaning over the seats,
arranging their clothing, and by their idleness
and inattention disturbing the clergyman and
congregation. Teaching by example is always effective, and
if you are truly reverent yourself, you can make
a stronger appeal to your scholars to be so, too.
Rise from your seat promptly, and kneel when
appointment requires, and respond in an audible
voice. One of the most difficult and delicate
acts is that of reproving without giving offense,
and nothing but a careful study of each individ
ual disposition under your care will enable you
to do this.

56 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
If the children understand that you really
love them, and are deeply interested in their
welfare, the task is much easier. If you keep
them engrossed with their lessons, they will find
little leisure for the whispering and mischievous
tricks and noises which disturb the whole school.
It is always easier to drive out evil by substitut
ing good and leaving no room for it, and event
ually making habit, as the old proverb calls it,
"second nature."
The plain, practical duties, taught in the
Bible and the Catechism are said to be out of
fashion now and behind the age, and "to submit
myself to all my governors, teachers, spiritual
pastors and masters," unworthy of the dignity
of young republicans.
Lawlessness seems the bane of modern life,
and the increase of youthful offenders in the
records of crime is very noticeable. Thackeray,
when on a visit to America, was asked what he
thought the most striking difference in society
here, replied that he "had been much struck by
the strictness of family discipline." And when
told that this was quite contrary to the received
opinion, said, "I have never anywhere seen such
obedient parents.""

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 57
What traveller has not noticed this in busy
station houses — the youngest member of the
party, perhaps a girl of thirteen, ordering all
the arrangements, selecting the most unsuitable
and expensive articles for luncheon, directing
the coachman — often quite in the wrong direc
tion — and seating each person according to her
fancy, while the parents look on uncomfortably,
but without remonstrance.
You will often have to contend against this
in your scholars. They will criticise the rector
and superintendent, and assume that their
opinion and management is much the best for
everyone. Be very careful not to fall under
the dominion of one of these strong-minded
young people, nor let their judgment of those in
authority at all influence you. Unless you can
insist upon and enforce instant obedience to the
rules of the school, you will find that the
confusion which will prevail in your class will
prevent your instruction from being heard, and
when criticism begins, open rebellion will soon
follow. A large school may be well, but one under
good and thorough discipline will be better. At
the first tap of the superintendent's bell, let all

58 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
teaching and conversation cease at once; no
matter how important the matter you are dis
cussing may be, discipline must be maintained
and rules respected, and you must set the
example of cheerful acquiescence.
Obedience and self-control are two of the
essential duties you have to teach, and you can
not effectually do so unless you practice them
yourself. Children who are accustomed to
acknowledge no rules but their own inclination,
and submit to no government but that of their
own changing fancies, are very difficult subjects
to govern. Nothing but constant, prayerful
efforts, will teach them how much happier they
can be under firm, but loving control.
Prepare every Sunday for a constant trial of
your temper and patience, until they have
learned this happy lesson, and, above all, never
exhibit anger in your dealings with them. "He
that is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that
taketh a city." Anger is short madness, and
words spoken while under its dominion will be
most often hasty, and perhaps sinful, words.
Unless you wish to mar your own and other
lives, you will have learned to be particularly

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 59
careful to control your speech even when justly
provoked. The Holy Scriptures command us to
"be angry and sin not." Outward calmness is
essential to this, and by keeping perfectly still,
we can recover our equanimity even when most
sorely tempted.
There are many excellent books of Sunday
School instruction, and the rector generally
selects the ones that seem to him best
Those are most helpful which follow closely the
course of the Christian year; besides, loyalty to
our own Church, should teach us to prefer them.
Each fact in the life of our blessed Lord is
brought out with suitable prominence.
The year begins with Him when in Advent
~we wait and watch for His coming and with
-wills stirred up by the expectation, "put upon
us the whole armour of light," always remem
bering that though His first coming to visit
ns was "in great humility" we look for the
second Advent, "in His Glorious Majesty."
"One to another hear them speak
The patient, virgins wise;
Surely He is not far to seek,
All night we watch and rise!
The days are evil, looking back,
The coming days are dim;
Yet count we not His promise slack
But watch and wait for Him."

LETTER VI.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Be always displeased with what thou art, if thou
desirest to attain to what thou art not, for where thou
hast pleased thyself, there thou abidest. But if thou
sayest, I have enough.thou perishest. Always add.always
walk, alway proceed. Neither stand still, nor go back,
nor deviate. St. Augfstine.
The thoroughly good men are those who have done
everything thoroughly, and who, in a word, have never
despised anything however small, of God's making. Ruskin,

OWHERE will you find more use for all
the gifts and graces of the Spirit than in
the Sunday School, and nowhere will you feel
more all the deficiences of your education than
when in contact with a class of bright, though
unruly children, recently gathered, perhaps, from
the streets of the city. Let the fact make you
humble, and excite you to increased diligence
in the cultivation of every power of your mind.
Learn to think accurately, to trace certain
effects to given causes, and carefully treasure up

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 61
the lessons experience teaches. Take one hun
dred children anywhere and study their charac
ters and dispositions thoroughly, and you will
find that you have learned child-nature under
almost every possible variety. Occasionally one
will start up whom it seems impossible to guide
and govern by any ordinary rules. Consult the
wisest teachers you know about these. They
can tell you, most likely, of similar cases and how
at last, roughness, impertinence, and worst of
all, irreverence, were softened, subdued and
banished, by persistent gentleness, faithfulness
and prayer.
If you teach quite young children, who read
imperfectly, it is better to do so orally. Many
of the kindergarten methods are suitable in an
infant school, and will attract the attention of
the youngest child. In these days, free schools,
night schools and parish schools so fill the
land that there is hardly a neighbourhood where
you are likely to be, that the children have not
the opportunity of learning to read.
In the short time appropriated to Sunday
School, you can make little progress in doing
this, and religious truth is of much more

62 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
importance. While the memory is strong, as it
is in early youth, be careful to store it with the
exact words of the Scripture, the Catechism
and the Collects. These will be a lasting
treasure, and when the understanding awakens,
as it will later, it will have abundant stores of
material to draw from. Do not be discouraged
because you will have to repeat the same words
and truths, day after day, and year after year
without seeming to make the least impression.
We must do our duty and leave the rest to God.
There is much comfort in the story told of a
clergyman in the north of Ireland, who, visiting
a cottage near the linen bleaching grounds, was
told by an old woman how much instruction
and guidance she had derived from his ministra
tion in church. He questioned her closely,
but found it impossible for her to remember
anything said there perfectly enough to repeat.
Seeing his discouragement, she took him to the
field and showed him the linen spread upon the
grass just from the loom, yellow and stained,
and then that bleached by the influence of sun
and shower. Such, she said, was her heart and
life when first drawn to the Church; but though

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

63

she could not tell which prayer or sermon had
brought light to her darkened mind, it had
come as the water and the sunshine to the linen.
So may it be with your scholars, they, —
"Like the stained web that whitens in the sun,
Grow pure by being purely shone upon."
If you have charge of the infant class, do not
weary them by keeping their attention too long
upon one subject. The Creed, the Lord's Prayer,
the Ten Commandments and the Collect for
the day, may be gone over every Sunday; but
you can let them sing a hymn or chant between.
A short choral service at the opening of the
school seems to keep the attention of everyone
best. Let the versicles be short, and a few days
of training will teach the whole school to re
spond perfectly. Thus let the boys sing:
"O Lord, show Thy mercy upon us,"
and the girls respond:
"And grant us Thy salvation."
and so on through the selection appointed.
Having once decided upon an opening form of
devotion for the school, it is best not to change
it without very good reason. Adapt the hymns

64 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
to the season of the Christian year and sing one
often enough to make the children perfectly
familiar with it. The Sunday School is to train
the children for the Church, so it is best that
the prayer and praises should be those author
ized by her Councils and printed with her
sanction. The Hymnal furnishes many suitable and
beautiful hymns for each season.
Select say for Epiphany :
' 'As with gladness men of old,
Did the guiding star behold,"
or the pleasant and simple hymn :
"Sons of men behold Irom far,"
and retain the same ones year after year, so
that when the children hear it in after days they
may say at once, "That is our Sunday School
hymn!" The power of association is very strong, and
I cannot write the lines of these hymns without
the sweet voices of some white-robed choristers
coming back to me through the cloisters, and up
the aisles of a quaint old church, where their

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 65
clear, ringing notes, led the procession of Sun
day School children coming into service, and the
vivid imagery took the listener back to the
first Epiphany whose story was pictured in the
bright tints of the eastern window. Septuages-
ima always brought "Alleluia ! song of sweetness,"
for the first note of preparation which then
begins for the holy fast of Lent which was
ushered in by the hymn:
"Forty days and forty nights."
It is well to call all the good forces of
human nature to help the work of the Sunday
School. Impressions made through the senses
are strong in children, and verses and mottoes
fixed on the walls of churches and school rooms
will remain embedded in the memory forever.
Let the Sunday School rooms be as pleasant as
you can make them; and if poverty prevents
you from making much permanent decoration,
let it be always neat and clean.
Enlist the feelings of the scholars to keep it
so, and teach them those principles of neatness
and honest care for the property of others,
that keep them from defacing the seats, walls,
and particularly the books.

66 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
A deeper feeling should be called in for the
latter, as those used in Sunday School come
within the injunction of the Catechism, "to
honour His Holy Name and His Word." The
Bibles, Prayer Books and Hymnals should be
reverently handled and carefully laid away, for
they contain what should be most precious to
every human heart, the written Word of God.
Some rectors have the gift of administration
in a remarkable degree, and will leave their
impress upon a parish for many years after
they have passed away. If you are fortunate
enough to live in such a parish, study carefully
the plans their wisdom has devised, that you
may put them in practice in other places.
Blessed be God, there are many such parishes
all over our country; but I would like to
describe one to show how persevering effort will
overcome obstacles that seem, at first, unsur-
mountable. Perhaps the most difficult field of labour,
unless you can control a great deal of money,
is a parish in the lower wards of a large city.
The tide of fashion moving upward has long
since swept all families of the better classes

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 67
away; but among the crowded ranks of ware
houses, factories and shops, there are lanes,
alleys, and courts filled with tenement houses,
and swarming with children.
In just such a neighborhood is the parish of
All Saints' and the large, old-fashioned church,
said to have been designed in Colonial days by
Sir Christopher Wren, has been left a mile or
more from the residence of those who were,
perhaps, baptized at its ancient font. To teach
in its Sunday Schools is truly missionary labour,
and this is one reason of its great efficiency.
Those who do so must be drawn by heart-felt
interest in the work, or they would not make the
self-denying efforts necessary to reach the
church from a distance of some miles, at the
early hour of the morning school.
The new parish building was constructed
over the cloisters, and the room for the general
Sunday School is in the third story, the second
being appropriated to the infant and parish
school rooms, and to the Bible classes. This
large and airy room accommodated five hundred
children so pleasantly that you were never
conscious how many were there. Cocoa matting

68 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
deadened the sound of feet, and circular
benches, with the teacher's chair at the
opening, gave you the impression of teaching
in a separate room.
At each season, texts, especially bringing out
the lesson taught by it, are placed over the
arches of the windows. At Advent, "Behold
thy King cometh, go ye out to meet Him,"
and other similar sentences, attracted the eye on
entering. These were changed at Christmas
for evergreen mottoes among the wreaths and
garlands of the decorations for the Feast of the
Nativity. Again in Lent the sentence in purple
letters, "Rend your heart and not your garments,
and turn unto the Lord your God," prepared you
at once for the changed character of the
opening services. The triumphant carols that
welcomed the Nativity gave place to the plead
ings of penitence and the supplications of
contrite hearts.
The class and school banners were ranged
among the pictures and framed mottoes upon
the walls, and each of these had its history of
joy and sorrow with which the children were
familiar. The picture of "The Good Shepherd"

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 69
enfolding a lamb upon His Bosom, came from
the nursery of a lovely child, whose closing
moments were clouded by delirious fancies, but
whose infant accents lisped among them the
reverent thoughts associated with this cherished
companion of her childhood. And, those texts
were worked by hands whose earthly labours are
ended, and who are learning, in upper countries,
the full meaning of truths seen but dimly here.
One side of the room was appropriated to
closets where the books for the schools were
kept. The boys' classes were numbered, and
the girls' lettered, and each had a shelf and box
given to it. These were unlocked a few
moments before the superintendent's bell gave
notice for perfect silence, and each teacher
distributed to her class the cards containing
the opening service, the Prayer Book and
Hymnals. Places were found in the latter, and the choir
called to seats about the organ, which was be
neath the superintendents platform. A hymn
for the season was printed on linen rolls hung
on the walls. After the devotions were over,

70 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
five minutes were allowed for marking attend
ance by the teacher, gathering the offerings and
placing the returned library books, with cards
enclosed, upon the librarian's desk. Then came
two bells for perfect silence for the lesson.
Thirty-five minutes were allotted to this.
The officers of the school, under the rector,
consisted of a superintendent, a lady assistant,
who walked through the girls' classes, a secre
tary, who did the same for the boys, marking
the attendance of every child, a librarian and
his assistants. The choirmaster came in for a
few moments before the close of the school, and
taught a new strain for the chants, or a new
hymn for the next season. Five minutes, before
the children marched down into the church, were
allowed for collecting and returning the cards
and books to their boxes in the closets.
A gallery committee was appointed each
Sunday to oversee the children in church. They
stood at the door to loan a Prayer Book and
Hymnal to each child who was without them,
and marked strictly each one's behaviour. The
penalty for whispering, or any other irreverent
conduct, was to be deprived of a library book.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 71
These were given out at the second session
of the school which began at half -past two, and
was devoted to the Catechism and review of
the morning lesson. Some time was given to
the practice of hymns, and attendance at Even
ing Prayer was not exacted except upon the
first Sunday of the month. Then the school
marched into the body of the church and were
catechised by the rector.
Every child received, from a prize fund left
by a former superintendent, a handsome certifi
cate as soon as he could repeat the Catechism
perfectly. The superintendent remained after
the second session of the school to hear all
whose names the teachers sent up to him for
this purpose, and the certificates were presented,
framed, at the children's monthly service. You
could see them hanging upon dingy walls in those
crowded courts where the children lived, often
the sole ornament, and they were always pointed
out with pride and pleasure by the parents.
The order of the school was excellent and its
perfect machinery moved smoothly and quietly.
A roll of honour was hung upon the wall, con
taining the names of those who obeyed the

72 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
rules. These were a sort of upper form, and they
wore badges and had some slight monitorial
duty. To be degraded from this roll was much
dreaded. Open irreverence and disobedience
were the offences punished thus.
The graded questions published by Rev. Dr.
Cook of St. John's chapel, New York, were used
and thus the whole school could use the same
book. After a scholar had passed from the
infant school through the different classes of
this upper room, he was placed in a Bible
class on the floor below.
I have thus endeavoured to answer your
request, and tell you of a school where teaching
was surrounded by everything to make it
pleasant, and I hope you will find in it much
that you can imitate in your own home. The
perfect discipline and regularity rendered it the
best I have seen.
Blessed will be the reward of these and like
faithful teachers, not perhaps in this world,
where it is given to few to see the return of the
ripened sheaves from the harvest; but at the
breaking of some fair morning in Paradise, when
clustering spirits shall come to greet them and

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 73
say — "you loved us, you prayed for us, you
taught us, you trained our infant lips to sing
the praises of Him who died for us; you led
our youthful steps into the paths of holiness,
and death had no sting and the valley of the
shadow of death no terror. Now in the light
of the presence of the Holy One, we wait the
full employment and enjoyment of the ransomed
in Heaven." "They that be wise shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament, and they that
turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever
and ever."

LETTER VII.
LENT.
The Paschal lamb was eaten with bitter herbs— a
perpetual lesson that bitterness and sorrow are the road
to joy. Pascal.
Immortal, the soul dwells in the mortal body; so
the Christians dwell in the corruptible, but looked for
incorruption in heaven The soul is better for restriction
in food and drink; so the Christians increase, though
daily punished. This lot God has assigned to the Chris
tians in the world and it cannot be taken from them. —
EpMola ad Diognctum. \ Second Century )
tOU write me that you cannot help shrinking
from the active duties of a spiritual life.
that the seclusion to which imperative family
claims have for years confined you, unfit you
now for constant contact with others. This is
a natural feeling, but, if too long indulged, will
become morbid. It is just at such a critical
stage in life that so many women fail, and after
being self-denying and devoted to their own
families, when they cease to demand their care.
they sink into indolent, selfish and aimless
beings, or fretful, discontented invalids.

LENT. 75
Jean Paul says most truly, "The first thing
we have to contend against in sorrow, as in
anger, is its poisonous, enervating sweetness,
which we are so loth to exchange for the labour
of consoling ourselves and to drive away by the
efforts of reason." This can best be done by
beginning at once some active duty to benefit
others, and it is well that the season of the
Christian year has come when you can, by fast
ing, penitence and prayer, prepare yourself for
your work. You have been so thoroughly
instructed in the Bible and Church history, that
it is not necessary to say anything of the great
value of this partial withdrawal from the worlds
for the dear fast of Lent:
"Which Christ Himself the Lord and Guide,
Of every season sanctified."
But it is well, each year to feel what a privi
lege it is thus to follow His example, believing
that the only aim of life is to tread in His
steps. "Whosoever will come after Me, let him -deny
himself and take up his cross and follow Me."
Follow Him into the wilderness where forty

76 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
days He fasted and overcame the temptation of
the devil, that, like Him also in victory, angels
may come and minister unto us.
Holy Scripture and the Church direct you
to fast, and the latter, in her wisdom, has ap
pointed particular seasons and days when this
duty is expressly enjoined. Study the table of
the "days of fasting or abstinence" that you
will find in the Prayer Book, and you will see
that the "forty days of Lent" head the list. Pray
that God will give us grace to use them aright,
and while obeying the injunction of the Holy
Gospel for Ash Wednesday, "that thou appear
not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father
which is in secret," we may use such abstinence
that our flesh, being subdued to the Spirit, we
may ever obey His godly motions in righteous
ness and true holiness.
Our Church, while thus strictly enjoining
the duty, and teaching the benefits of fasting,
leaves a large liberty to her children. You
cannot be faithful to this duty, or obedient to
her teaching, unless you use some abstinence
from food, amusements and pleasures at other
times harmless.

LENT. 77
"More sparing therefore let us make
The words we speak, the food we take,
Deny ourselves in mirth and sleep,
In stricter watch our senses keep.
"In prayer together let us fall,
And cry for mercy one and all,
And weep before the Judge and say—
Oh! turn from us Thy wrath away."
Many give up one article of food they are
accustomed to use at each meal, such as butter,
sugar, tea, coffee, sweetmeats, or sweets for the
season, and some, whose health permit, keep
Wednesday, the day on which our Blessed Lord
was betrayed, and Friday, that on which He
was crucified, as stricter fasts. You will have
to be guided in this by your own constitutional
peculiarities, as well as by the daily duties of
your life. Food of some kind, if these require
much physical exertion, will probably be neces
sary at the regular hours to which you have
been accustomed, to give you strength properly
to perform them ; but you may be able to change
the quantity or the quality without suffering in
health. If your diet is always so simple as to
admit of little change, there are many ways of
denying yourself which will bring you the
benefits of fasting.

78 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
Some to whom the courser pleasures of the
senses are unknown, have an inordinate fond
ness for scientific research, or some one form of
intellectual pursuit. This is a high and ennob
ling taste, but even in this you must sometimes
deny yourself, remembering the advice of Arch
bishop Leighton — "If you would be spiritual,
healthful and vigorous, and enjoy much of the
consolation of heaven, be sparing and sober in
those of earth, and what you abate of the one,
shall certainly be made up in the other."
An occasional indulgence in works of fiction
is to many minds a refreshment, and. where the
spirit of the book is good, and its tone pure,
it is harmless. But if it in the least indisposes
you for more solid reading, you must be careful
always, lest you injure your taste in this respect.
Novels should be certainly given up in Lent.
and the time they would consume be given to
religious reading. A daily portion from suitable
books for the season read at your morning
devotions, you will find a great assistance, such
as Bishop Huntington's "Helps to a Holy Lent;"
Miss Sewell's "Daily Readings for Lent;"
"Passing Thoughts on Religion" by the same

LENT. 79
author; Dean Goulbourn's, Canon Liddon's,
Jeremy Taylor's, Archbishop Leighton 's works
and many others might be mentioned. It is as
true now as when Chaucer wrote :
"Out of old fields as men saithe,
Cometh all this new corn from year to yea"-;
Out of old books in good faithe,
Cometh all this new science that men lere.''
Some rectors are accustomed to recommend
religious books to their congregations for Lent,
and themselves read aloud at some of the
services portions from those they deem most
edifying. Parish libraries, and also many private
ones, generally contain a good selection of
Lenten reading.
If you live where you have access to plenty
of books, do not forget your friends who may be
less fortunate. In remote places, a new book is
a great treat, and after you have enjoyed a good
one thoroughly, you might send it to some
neighbourhood where it would be highly appre
ciated and valued. Look over your shelves and
see if you cannot spare some interesting volume
to go as a loan or gift on such an errand. If
you do not know just where to send it, "The

80 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
Church Periodical Club" will tell you. That
noble society is doing much admirable work in
supplying literature to Clergy away from cities.
In a recent visit to California, I heard much of
the good it was doing in the lonely places of
that large country.
"Fasting is called, by the doctors of the
Church," says Jeremy Taylor, "the nourishment
of prayer, the wings of the soul, the diet of
angels, the instruments of humility and self-
denial, the purification of the spirit." St. Basil
says the paleness of visage consequent upon
protracted fasts, is the mark on the forehead
which the angel observed when he signed the
Saints to escape the wrath of the Lamb.
If you have young people under your
direction, or influence, be careful that they lose
not the benefit of the season of Lent. Endeavour
to order the family hours so that they will have
leisure for the services of the Church during
the week, without interfering with their studies.
While it is not often advisable for them to fast at
all, in the strict sense of the word, if they should
choose to abstain from any favorite article of

LENT. 81
food for forty days, the effect will generally be
beneficial. I knew of a large school whose matron
proposed that all who were willing to give up
dessert during Lent should sit at particular
tables, and the money it would cost to provide
it, should be an Easter offering from the school.
The few boys who did not agree to do this, sat
at one table and had the usual allowance of
delicacies; but the others contributed, through
the offertory, many dollars to an orphanage, a
hospital, and the Missionary Society, as the
fruit of their self-denial. This is a good plan;
in families and in parishes where it has been
tried, the offerings largely increase .
If your Church is in debt, or some improve
ment on the building is needed, see if you
cannot, by additional effort and self-denial,
increase your alms to remove the debt, or make
the improvement. Thus, like the devout Cor
nelius, your prayers and alms may go up an
acceptable offering to God. Say as little
about your effort as possible, and do not attract
others' attention to them.

82 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
What may seem a little sacrifice of pleasure,
ease, luxury, or even comfort"1 in the sight of
men, may demand constant and prayerful effort
011 the part of the maker. I have never been
more impressed with the reality of religious
purpose than by seeing a young man abstain
from the use of tobacco during the whole of
Lent. While the fumes of the noxious weed
undoubtedly cloud the mind, unstring the
nerves and undermine the constitution, yet,
like other narcotics, it soothes for the time
and braces the delicate organs it is slowly
poisoning. Then, too, "the mild-eyed, melan
choly lotos-eaters," deprived of their wonted
stimulant, are so no longer, but are apt, at first,
to be fretful, peevish and uncomfortable com
panions, so that religion and philosophy must be
constantly exerted to restrain the expression of
the physical and mental discomfort its loss
occasions; but when once, in the strength of God
the victory is obtained, the slave is a free man,
and has risen high in the dignity of created
beings.

LENT. S3
There are few bad habits as tyrannical
over its votaries as this: and while it pollutes
the sweet air of heaven, making it offensive and
sickening, soils the person, the house, the furni
ture, and even defiles the books, by a strange
perversion of truth, young boys think it manli/
to put themselves beneath the yoke of such an
unclean habit, and waste their own and others'
money in procuring the expensive poison. If
ever one, like the rector of St. Bardolph, longed
"for a few rich, unctious. fruity words, in the
deficient Saxon, to give an audible expression
to — ,"well, the rector is perhaps severe, so we will
say, the emotions excited by such manliness,
this is one of the occasions.
In cities, parties, receptions and balls gener
ally cease during the Lenten season, and in the
time thus gained you should have leisure not
only for increased private and public devotion,
but works of corporal and spiritual mercy.
The former are feeding the hungry, giving drink
to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, redeeming
captives, visiting the sick, entertaining strangers
and burying the dead; the latter, teaching the
ignorant, counseling the doubting, comforting

84 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
the afflicted, pardoning offenders and praying
for all estates of men.
To do these well, you must begin with your
own heart; try to gain the victory over every
evil habit, and to cultivate the graces in which
you are most, deficient; "to believe all things, to
do all things, to suffer all things," which God's
will appoints us. Confess your sins often to
Him and join heartily, yet with deep abasement
of spirit, in the public Confession and Litanies.
Let "our souls dwell low in the deep valley
of humility"' that we may come up from the
wilderness leaning upon the Beloved and bring
ing "all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old,"
which He has laid up there. You have
probably learned long since, from rigid self-
examination, what are the temptations that are
most likely to assail you, and the sins which
most easily beset you. Study now to keep a
stricter watch against them, and pray con
stantly that God, by His grace, will enable
you to overcome them. Say, "I can do all things
in the might of His Spirit and by the example
and loving sympathy of our Blessed Lord;" and

LENT. 85
do not be discouraged if at first you seem tc
make little progress.
Take some one definite sin, such as anger,
and strive against it. Many in whom the
instincts of good breeding are strong, and with
whom the laws of society are powerful, will
exercise perfect self-restraint in the presence of
strangers; but when with their own families,
allow the anger rising in their hearts to find vent
in sharp speeches, and bitter, even cruel, words.
Indeed, the people they love best are often
selected as the proper victims of their wrath.
Unrestrained passion is a dangerous thing, and
the person who indulges in it is on a road that
leads to insanity and death.
In the delicate balance of our spiritual,
mental and physical nature, one heavy weight
may clog the exquisite machinery, and hopeless
disorder is the consequence. A medical
superintendent of one of the largest retreats for
the insane in this country, said that nine-tenths
of the patients who came there were insane by
their own fault, and explained it as the ruin
that unrestrained indulgence brought into even
the finest natures.

Mi A LIFE OF SERVICE.
If you have not had the inestimable privilege
of religious training, and learned self-restraint
from your infancy, give all the powers of your
mind to the task now, and resolve that you will
never do another unkind act, or speak another
word, under the influence of anger. Those
short, peevish answers, those quick, sharp retorts,
those bitter, stinging sarcasms which break up
the peace of families and societies, can it be
possible that they come from Christian lips;
lips that have learned to pray and call the Lord
of heaven and earth — the God of love — "our
Father?" Can those fierce passions live in a
heart that has submitted to the yoke of the
meek and lowly Jesus, who, amid sorrow
unutterable, called for forgiveness upon His
enemies and turned His cheek to the smiter?
Can the Holy Spirit whose chosen symbol is
the gentle dove, dwell among such unclean birds
as are the foul crew begotten by anger, wrath
and uncharitableness? If you have never
begun before to cast them out. take this for
your Lenten work. If there lives a friend whom
in your anger you have wronged, or by your
vehemence you have estranged, confess your

LENT. 87
fault to that friend and humbly ask for pardon-
You cannot expect God's blessing on your fast
and penitence unless you seek the forgiveness
of those against whom you have sinned.
Perhaps you may say, "I am not the offender,
I am justly angry." The Holy God might be
justly angry with us every day, and yet He
sent us countless blessings, calls us lovingly to
come to Him, though our "sins be as scarlet," and
sends His Beloved Son, "the ever Blessed Jesus,
who suffered all the contradictions of sinners, and
received all affronts and reproaches of malicious,
rash and foolish persons, and yet, in all of them,
was as dispassionate and gentle as the morning
sun in Autumn."
Faber asks of injuries:
"Oh! do you hear that Voice from heaven,
Forgive and you shall be forgiven?
Softly on every wind that blows,
Through the wide earth the promise goes,
Absolving sin and opening heaven,
For we forgive and are forgiven."
Make this, then, the first act of self-denial of
this solemn season; and when you have asked
pardon and extended full forgiveness for all
past injuries, resolve that
"From this hour we do not know
The thought, the thing men mean by foe."

LETTER VIII.
SORROW.
God had one Son without sin; He has no son without
sorrow. St. Augustine.
Affliction is a divine diet, which, though it be not
pleasing to mankind, yet Almighty God hath often im
posed it as a good, though bitter physic to those children
whose souls are dearest to Him. Izaac Walton.
Y Dear L  : One of the prophetic
names of our Blessed Lord is "the Man of
Sorrows, acquainted with grief;" and can we
then, the children of God and heirs with Christ,
expect to escape this, His chosen heritage?
"Out of the deep," must we continually cry for
help to Him who has trodden each step of the
bitter pathway before us. "He Himself bore
our sins," and the very fact of His immaculate
purity made the load heavier and the agony of
the conflict more tremendous.
It is a blessed privilege to be like Him even
in suffering, and it is a necessary part of the
earthly discipline which fits us for the full

SORROW. 89
enjoyment of the society of the redeemed in
Paradise. "If I must win my way to perfectness
In the sad path of suffering, like Him
The overflowing river of whose life
Touches the flood-marks of humanity
On the white pillars of the Heavenly throne,
Then welcome evil! welcome sickness, toil,
Sorrow and pain, the fear and fact of death!"
This is the only spirit in which sorrow should
be met; and we can, amid our suffering even,
rejoice that we are called thus to a closer fellow
ship with Christ, and can understand a little of
the weight of woe He bore for us.
During these days of fasting, it is well to
think much of this, to study the history of our
Blessed Lord, and particularly the full record
given of the last days of His life on earth; and
in Passion week that account of when "they
came to a place which was named Gethsemane
and He saith to His disciples, 'My soul is
exceeding sorrowful even unto death.' " The
weight of that mysterious Agony is beyond our
power to understand, but it has sanctified all
suffering; and no matter how deeply we may feel
that the storms and billows have beat over us,
there is yet, beyond, a lower depth of anguish

90 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
consecrated by the blessed steps of the Son of
God. That holy self-restraint which is the mark of
the Cross upon our hearts and lives, never can
show itself more plainly than in times of sorrow,
and we must never forget that we have no
right to inflict the outward expression of our
grief upon others, beyond a certain point. The
spirit of lowly submission to the Will of God.
which bows humbly at the foot of the Cross,
learns there the lesson which that Agony teaches.
"I was dumb, and opened not My mouth
because Thou didst it." "Abba, Father, all
things are possible unto Thee: take away this
cup from Me; nevertheless not what I will, but
what Thou wilt."
When we thus dwell in the valley of
humility and lose our will in that of the Holy
One, there come sweet comfortings and
strength from above. St Luke writes: "And
there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven.
strengthening Him.'"
This is the perfect submission we are to
imitate. Not to question why such sorrow
should come to us more than to others; why

SORROW. 91
our beloved ones are taken from us while others
less dear, less useful, less tender and true, are
left; why ill health mars our happiness, destroys
o.ur usefulness and darkens our days; but to say
with our Blessed Lord, agonizing in the garden,
and crushed beneath the load of the world's
transgression, "O My Father, if this cup may
not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy
will be done." "O God, O Kinsman loved, but not enough,
O Man with eyes Majestic after death,
Whose feet have toiled along our pathway rough,
Whose lips draw human breath;
"By that one likeness which is ours and Thine,
By that one nature which doth hold us kin,
By that high heaven where sinless Thou dost shine,
To draw us sinners in,
"By that last silence in the judgment hall,
By long foreknowledge of the dreadful tree,
By darkness, by the wormwood and the gall,
I pray Thee, visit me."
I hope you know this poem of Jean Inge-
low's; the meaning comes out fully in the latter
verses, and I may weary by quoting more; but
the idea should be ever present with us, that
one of the main uses of sorrow is to teach us to
alleviate that of others, after we have, by self-
discipline, extracted the sweet from its bitter-

92 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
ness,and learned how tenderly God's comfortings
come to His suffering children.
You will find the daily services of the Church
a very great solace in your affliction. If you
live in other people's houses, and, can command
little solitude, the quiet coolness of the church
will be most refreshing to soul and. spirit.
It is best in a large city to select some one
parish for the home of your affections, the
sphere of your labours, and the centre of your
charities. It is a sort of dissipation to be running from
one church to another, here attracted by fine
music, or more elaborate services, or there by
an unusually good reader or fine preacher.
These things are all good in their places; but
do not seek them, too much, or speak of them
as the all engrossing object of your search.
God blesses all faithful ministration of His
Word and Sacraments, and you are much more
likely to share this blessing while you are in the
quiet discharge of daily duty, than if you have
gone far to look for it, leaving these unfulfilled
behind you.

SORROW. 93
If you have changed your home and are
looking about for some particular congregation
or parish with which to connect yourself, think
of the claim of the humblest in your neigh
bourhood first. Is there no mission or strug
gling free church near you, where the coming
of a new member, with a heart to love the
sanctuary, and a willingness to spend and to
be spent in its service, would be welcome?
If so, do not go miles away to seek a fashionable
and crowded church, when you might help
build up one at your doors. It is right to
make beautiful the sanctuary — the place where
" Thine Honor dwelleth," and we have the
sanction of His Word and the gracious pleasure
that He took in such adorning, in the days of
old, as our own warrant for such an effort; but
not at the expense of more serious matters.
Remember, there was a scale of offerings
provided by the Jewish law; in place of the
lamb for a burnt offering, the poor woman could
bring a pair of turtle doves, or two young
pigeons, as did the Virgin mother of our Blessed
Lord at His Presentation in the Temple.
"Whosoever is of a willing mind, let Him bring

94 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
it an offering of the Lord; gold, silver and brass,
and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen
and goat's hair." If God has given you the
ability, bring of your gold and jewels to adorn the
sanctuary; but if you are poor, believe that the
goat's hair and the badger skins, which were
within the reach of the poorest Israelite, were
equally acceptable in His sight, who looks at
the heart as consecrating the gift.
Do not despise the Lenten services held at
your humble chapel, and believe that God"s
presence can be as truly in those simple rites, as
in those where art and music lend their charms to
deepen their solemnity. The wealth of colouring,
the soft light stealing in through stained win
dows, the pictured story there, the suggestive
symbols, each telling of the Cross, the glory
and mystery of the Holy Trinity, or the power
of the Holy Ghost, are attractive and beautiful.
Used aright, they become helps to holiness, and
you should accustom yourself to recognize and
appreciate their teaching.
But while thus enjoying them, when you
can have them, do not allow yourself to consider
them of so much importance that you pine for

SORROW. 95
them when necessarily worshipping where they
cannot be had. In the humblest temple, accep
table worship can go up to Him who dwelleth
not alone in temples made with hands. Think
of Solomon's words at the dedication of that
magnificent temple for the "Congregation of
Israel:" "And he stood before the altar of the
Lord . and kneeled down upon his
knees . . and said, But will God in very
deed dwell with men on earth? Behold heaven
and earth cannot contain Thee; how much less
this house which I have built?"
In many large cities you have much liberty
in selecting a church, unless ties of duty should
call you strongly to some particular congrega
tion. The cross-tipped spires point out God's
temples within a few blocks of each other in the
upper neighborhood of the Atlantic cities, and
you need not go far to choose. The primitive
rule was the nearest parish church, and I think
it is well to keep to it still, if the Book of
Common Prayer is closely followed in the Daily
Offices. Nothing can make up for the loss of
the form of sound words, consecrated by the

96 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
pious breathings of the devout children of the
Church in all ages.
Having selected your place of worship, you
are now to enter upon the duty to which God
calls you there, and give freely of your time.
thought, money and influence, to promote its
best interests. Let these be willing offerings,
tendered cheerfully and unasked as unto the
Lord. "So shalt thou find in work and thought
The peace that sorrow cannot give;
Though grief's worst pangs to thee be taught,
By thee let others nobler live."
In these scattered hints, I cannot dwell
upon the deep things of the spirit; you find
them in your Bible, in the teachings of the
Church, and in the lives of the Saints of old.
It is well to study faithfully all these records.
The Saints all "confessed that they were stran
gers and pilgrims on the earth, declared plainly
that they sought a country, a better country.
that is, a heavenly," and in all their trials "of
cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover,
of bonds and imprisonment," they were joyful
through faith, patient in hope and found "the
peaceable fruit of righteousness."

SORROW. 97
The promise is to us even as to them, and if
we exercise the same holy faith and patience
we shall, like them, receive the same blessed
reward. "Happy are they that learn in Him
How patient sufferings teach
The secret of enduring strength.
And praise too deep for speech;
Peace that no pressure from without.
No strife within can reach."
"Sorrows are th-e pulses of spiritual life ; after
each beat we pause only that we may gather
strength for the next:" and all sorrow, unless
sanctified by prayer and consecrated to Him
who in His wisdom sent us the hidden blessing'
hardens the heart and unfits us for Christian
duty. The temptation comes to us to doubt
God's tenderness and love, to repine at His
chastenings, and question His wisdom.
Do not attempt to reason with this device of
the adversary of souls, but pray continually
against it. If you have accustomed yourself to
daily self-denial, to unquestioning obedience,
and quiet faithfulness in the duties appointed
you, you will find them of inestimable service in
such a time of sorrow. In the hush of earth's
voices, you can better listen to those that speak

98 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
from heaven; and you will tread softly, as if in
the cool shade of some dim forest, where the
noise and tumult of life is heard only from afar.
Let your own suffering teach you constant
tenderness and sympathy with all who suffer in
"mind, body or estate." You have been able
to mitigate the pain of your loved ones by the
thousand devices that medical skill, art, luxury
and affection, have invented. Their dying
pillows were soothed by the presence of the
appointed minister of God, whose voice pierced
the stillness of the shadow of death beginning
to shroud the senses, and told them of a light
in the dark valley, of the washing in the blood
of the Immaculate Lamb that was slain to take
away the sins of the world, and commended their
souls into the Hands of a faithful Creator.
But thousands are dying without these
blessings. Unsoothed, untended and uncared
for, they wrestle with the death agony, and no
voice tells them that it may be a prelude to joys
immortal. Forget not these, and help all hospi
tals and infirmaries within reach of your
benefactions, in thankful remembrance of your
loved departed ones who are sleeping in Jesus.

SORROW. 99
Perhaps the last tie that binds you to the
home of your childhood has been broken, and
you say in your sorrow there is no earthly one
now left to you. But you can make a home
wherever you may be; and while putting on the
robes of righteousness that will alone fit you for
heavenly habitations, see if you cannot, bring
light into other houses. Perhaps the tender
ministration of an infirmary your charity aids in
supporting, will drive away the death angel
from some family whom his presence was
threatening, and the light of an humble home
may be saved to them a little longer.
Remember to be "fervent in prayer" at the
parts of the public service of the Church where
"all sick persons and young children," "all that
are desolate and oppressed" are particularly
mentioned. In some congregations where the
prayers of the faithful are desired for chronic-
invalids, it is customary to make a slight pause
at these clauses, and minister and people say
softly to themselves the names of those whom
they thus remember. Try to realize the blessings
that come from Heaven in answer to prayer;
drive away all doubts as to its efficiency from its

100 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
conflict with the laws of nature, by the sure
Word of the God of Nature.
"Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall
find, knock and it shall be opened unto you."
Our blessed Lord repelled the temptation of the
devil by the pure Word of God; and following
His Holy example, you must crush each rising
doubt by a — "thus saith the Lord," from the
Book He has left us.
The heathen recognized the uses of sorrow
in refining and purifying the mind, and teaching
true wisdom. Many striking passages might be
quoted from their writings to illustrate this.
Seneca says: "He that never was acquainted
with adversity, has seen the world but on one
side, and is ignorant of half the scenes of
nature." And Goethe, the greatest of modern
pagans, writes: "Who ne'er ate the bread of sorrow,
Who ne'er passed the darksome hour,
Weeping and watching for to-morrow;
He knows ye not, ye heavenly power. "
But our Christian poet, the saintly Keble,
gives the keynote to right thinking when he
says:

SORROW. 101

"From darkness and dreariness
We ask not full repose,
Only be Thou at hand to bless
Our trial hour of woes.
"Is not the pilgrim's toil o'er paid
By the clear rill and palmly shade,
And see we not up earth's dark glade
The gates of heaven unclose?"

LETTER IX.
THE MOTHERS" MISSION.
"Let us reach into our bosoms
For the key to others' lives,
And with love towards erring nature,
Cherish good that still survives."
XT is generally thought best that some of the
1 most experienced Christians in the congre
gation should have charge of that most important
branch of Church work — the Mothers' Mission.
But in the good providence of God you may be
placed where the services of such are not
available, and I think you should not shrink
from the task if you have the approval of your
rector. While older persons may be in charge
of the religious services of the mission, the
strength and enthusiasm of younger people may
well be enlisted in visiting members in their
homes, looking up the absentees, and, perhaps.
finding new persons who may be glad to join.

THE MOTHERS' MISSION, 103
I think that it is much better for the lady
associates to be all communicants of the same
parish, while the women, whom they teach, may
be gathered in anywhere. Except in our larger
cities, there are few towns where it. is not safe
for a lady of ordinary discretion and judgment
to visit any neighborhood among the poor, and
when the older ladies have explored it. they may
safely share the duty with younger persons.
If you ever have an opportunity, study the
way in which our sisterhoods are working in
larger cities. "The Bishop Potter Memorial
House" was for many years the favorite field of
work of that large-hearted layman, William
Welsh, whose praise is in all the churches, and
whose loss, when stricken down in the midst of
his usefulness, we all lament. Christian women
were trained there to work in the parish, the
hospital, and the missionary field, and faithful
labourers are showing how well this training was
adapted to our present needs by successful work
in different dioceses, and missionary juris
dictions. Under the judicious oversight of one, who,
more fully, perhaps, than any living man in

104 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
America, knew and felt for the wants of the
poor, a neighborhood was selected for the sisters,
in which to begin their missions. These were
often in the manufacturing districts near the
Memorial House. Every tenement was visited,
and a list made of its inmates, with notes of their
character and circumstances. The women were
invited to join the Mothers' Mission, the men,
the Bible classes, and the children, the Sunday
School. This is called canvassing, and is the
only way in which the needs of a district can be
fully known. Subsequent visits are, of course,
made, and arrangements perfected for procuring
a suitable room for holding the Mission, and the
Bible class, and the services of the Church.
In these manufacturing centres so many of
the women are employed during the day in
mills, that night is the only convenient time for
them to meet. Perhaps it will be more practical
to describe the Mothers' Mission conducted by
one of these sisters in All Saints' parish. It
was held in a large room in the parish building,
used for a Bible class on Sundays, for Mission
ary and Dorcas societies, and for the instruction
given for Sunday School teachers every Monday

THE MOTHERS' MISSION. 105
night upon the next lesson. Tuesday evening
at 7:00 o'clock, the mothers met in this pleasant
room, well warmed and brightly lighted, and
hung about with framed texts of Scripture and
pictures. A large table occupied the centre of
the room upon which the work and books were
placed. The librarian was generally in attend
ance for a few moments before the time of
opening, and exchanged and marked off the
books. As the clock struck the hour, the bell
sounded, the doors were locked, and the opening
services began.
Where only a single room is placed at the
disposal of the mission, it would hardly be well to
lock the doors and expose its members to the
inclemency of the weather. Attendance upon a
sick person, or an infant, will sometimes make
perfect punctuality impossible for very poor
people, though it is astonishing when they have
learned, as they do quickly, to prize the religious
services, how very rarely they fail of being in
their places when the bell strikes. At All Saints'
they could wait in the parish school rooms
which were upon the same floor, and warm.

106 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
The librarian played upon the melodeon,
and some of the pleasant hymns from the
Hymnal were great favourites with the women.
As many of the members of the mission were
English. Welsh, Irish and German, they were
often unable to read, and it was necessary to
teach them the hymns by repeating them orally,
in concert, three or four times before beginning
to sing them. It is better to do this in most
cases, for persons, whose early education has
been neglected, read so very imperfectly that it
is doubtful if they catch much of the meaning
of the lines they so painfully endeavor to spell
out. If both the tune and the words of the hymn
are new to the members of the mission, it is well
te sing it over to them once before beginning
the devotional exercises. Those who have a
good ear for music will readily catch the tunes,
and for the others you might have a short
singing lesson at the close of the mission.
After the hymn, use the Collect for the week
and the season. In Lent, what is called the
Lesser Litany may be an appropriate portion of
your prayers. Always decide upon what

THE MOTHERS MISSION. 107
Collect from the Prayer Book you will use
beforehand, and if you have not a printed form
taken from the books of directions for Mothers'
Missions, write one out yourself by the advice
and guidance of your rector.
"Lighten our darkness, we beseech Thee, oh
Lord," and "Direct us in all our doings," with
the Collect for the Second Sunday in Advent,
are appropriate at all times. I copy a prayer
that was used in a successful Mothers' Mission,
which may be of use to you:
"Oh Almighty God, the Father and Saviour
of all men, help us, we beseech Thee, to behave
with Christian charity and wisdom to all that
are in distress, poverty or suffering. Let none
of us come under Thy condemnation on the
great day of judgment, for want of mercy or
charity to our brethren, who in this world of
trial, were hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or sick,
or in prison, and to whom, when we had the
power, we did not minister. Help us to deny our
selves, that we may, each in our measure, have to
give to them that need; and that we may ever
work, with Thee and for Thee in diminishing
the sorrows, the miseries, and the sins, of this

108 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
evil world, for the sake of Him who suffered and
died for all, Thy blessed Son, our Saviour,
Jesus Christ. Amen."
Be particular that each one joins in the
Lord's Prayer in an audible voice, and also in
repeating the Creed. If you find that any of
the members of the mission do not know the
Creed, the Lord's Prayer and the Ten
Commandments, it is well to teach them to
repeat them in unison. And after they are
thoroughly taught, use the former at every
meeting of the mission, and the commandments
as often as once a month.
Do not forget that grown persons are often
as ignorant as little children of the first princi
ples of religious truth, and need as much
careful and constant teaching. The same rules
that apply to teaching in Sunday School must
come into use here. You will need to pray for
God's help and His wisdom to fit you for the
task. The direction of Ignatius Loyola in the
Spiritual Exercises conies into use in every
possible branch of Christian service. "Let us
pray as if we had no help in ourselves; let us

THE MOTHERS* MISSION. 109
labour as if there were no help for us in
Heaven."' Nothing is blest without prayer, but
nothing comes without labour. If you are to
succeed in anything, it will never be by wishing
for it, but by patient, prayerful, constant,
earnest and uncomplaining working for the
desired object.
In selecting the portion of Scripture for
reading and explanation, after the prayers of
the mission have been said, it is thought best
always to have one of the Psalms. If you have
considerable musical ability, or can obtain the
assistance of any young person who has, it will
be easy to teach the women to chant some
simple strain, which you can vary with the
season of the Christian year. Thus in Lent
you can sing or say the "De Profundis" to a
plaintive measure, and at Easter-tide the
anthem for the day — "Christ being raised from
the dead, dieth no more," etc. The "Venite,"
the "Jubilate" the "Benedictus" and others
from the Church service will be suitable at other
seasons. The Gospel for the coming week is generally
selected for the New Testament lesson, and as

110

A LIFE OF SERVICE.

one of the objects of the mission is to interest
its members in the service of the Church, it is
well to explain the why, and wherefore, of much
that is strange to them. You will need to
carefully study the Gospel, as well as the
appointed lessons for the day, to draw out their
full meaning. Consult the best Church writers
whose works you can procure, and make a
careful abstract of their teaching, being
particular to clothe it in simple language.
Never trust to the thought of the moment,
though you may have the gift of fluent speech;
write out beforehand your little exposition, even
if you do not use all of it. It requires much
greater gifts of taste, talent, and culture, and
the higher acquirements of profound wisdom,
knowledge and broad experience than ordinary
persons are likely to possess, to make unpre
meditated teaching agreeable or profitable. But
while you have the written page before you,
learn the art of reading without seeming to read.
This comes only from earnest study and
constant practice.
After the exposition of the Gospel, read
some short story, and when the women are

THE MOTHERS' MISSION. Ill
trained to listen, a chapter from some good book,
such as "Bede's Charity," "Jessica's Prayer,"
and "Alone in London."
Let the religious exercises occupy about an
hour, and then have the sewing produced. At
first, they might bring their own mending, and
you might teach them the best way of repairing
their clothes. After that, simple garments for
their children. Once a month the sewing
should be for some charitable purpose, such as
a neighbor who is ill, or unusually poor, one
who may have had her clothing destroyed, or
for the missionary box that the parish is
making up. Encourage conversation, but not
gossip, during the sewing. If there is a
tendency to this, read for a few minutes, or if
they are deeply interested in the story, for a
longer time. Close punctually by singing a
hymn at 9:00 o'clock.

LETTER X.
THE SEWING SCHOOL.
fERHAPS a description of an ordinary
sewing school connected with a parish in
B  may serve the purpose of your South
Carolina correspondent.
This was held for two hours every Saturday
afternoon, and had a lady superintendent, with
her assistant and other teachers, each of the
latter having about eight girls under her charge.
The school was opened at the appointed hour
by the singing of a hymn and reciting the
Creed before the short prayers. Then the
hands of each girl were held up for inspection
to the superintendent, or her assistant, who
divided the school between them for this pur
pose. All whose cleanliness was doubtful, were
sent into an adjoining room, where basins were
provided, and one of the teachers directed their
use.

SEWING SCHOOL. 113
Bags were made the first thing, by each
scholar, for their own use, to contain their
thimble, needle-book, cotton and work, and
marked with their names. Next, a large apron
was made, to be worn during the sewing hours,
and afterward put away in the bag. The schol
ars were classified, generally, according to their
knowledge of sewing previously, and as they
advanced they were promoted to the higher
classes. Button holes were considered the most diffi
cult work, and some small premium was offered
at the close of the school for the best executed
set. A premium of a silver thimble was given
each year for the best made garment, or for the
greatest improvement in sewing.
When a school is first organized, and all are
learners, the whole attention will have to be
given to the needful directions for the work,
but after the scholars have learned to hem
fairly, and are engaged upon simpler portions of
the garments, the superintendent might read a
little story or talk to the children about their
home duties. The utmost neatness in regard to

114 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
their work must be insisted upon, and faithful
ness in finishing off every part; while habits of
order can be taught, by teaching them how- to
fold up the materials and work before putting
them away at the close of the school.
After the rudiments of sewing are taught, it
is well to begin a garment which will bring
them all into use, and it is an incentive to
industry to tell them what use is to be made of
the finished garment. In very poor communi
ties they may need it greatly themselves, or for
a smaller child at home; but when this is not
the case, the garment might be given to the
missionary box of the parish, or to some case of
destitution within its limits. After an hour's
sewing, the work was put away and one of the
ladies taught the children chants and hymns
for the Sunday School and Church.
It is well always to draw out all the musical
talent in a congregation, and make it available
for use in the services of the sanctuary; and to
do this, it is better always to select the same
hymns for the children's use as are used in the
church. Their sweet voices will then be a
ready substitute for the ordinary choir when

SEWING SCHOOL. 115
circumstances prevent them from leading the
musical portions of the service.
Darning stockings is a useful art, and
donations of partly worn clothing might be
solicited from the congregation for experiments
in the sewing school. The homely proverb, "'A
stitch in time saves nine," cannot be too much
insisted upon. A great deal of the poverty in
many places comes from the want of care and
thrift in the use of money, often earned by hard
labor. It is astonishing how much poor peojjle
waste, and if you can teach their children
habits of economy and industry, you will have
done much toward elevating them above the
want which carelessness, sloth and improvidence,
have brought upon the parents,
Be patient, gentle, loving and wise in your
teaching; and though you may not see the fruit
of your own labor, it may bless some happy
home many years hence. Try and enlist all
of the young ladies whose home duties do
not interfere with their helping in the school.
If you find them competent, your task will be
lightened by their help ; but if they are ignorant,
careless, and unpunctual, the school will be

116 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
better without their services. If you have
many scholars you can allow very little talking,
or the confusion will be unpleasant and distract
your own and the children's attention from
their work.
It is important to recollect that most good
things grow, and cannot be ready made; so if
you are patient, a great deal can come from an
humble, unpretending beginning.

LETTER XI.

VISITING THE POOR.

TpJOUBTLESS you have often noticed the
-»-' tendency of some minds to be frightened
by a stern fact, and shrink from investigating
the details. Thus, statistics state that six-
sevenths of all the inhabitants of London are
supported by the remaining seventh. When
you attempt to grapple with poverty in such
alarming proportions, you falter at the prospect,
and in dismay think it hopeless to do anything.
Loving hearts are guiding wise heads to solve
this mighty problem — one of the most difficult
for the trials of our faith — and careful study is
given to efforts for ameliorating the condition of
the poor. Employment societies are taking the
place of the old, indiscriminate relief granted to
every applicant as long as the funds of the
benefactor lasted; and each year additional
light is thrown upon the answer to that most

118 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
important question, how can we best relieve the
wants of the poor without lowering their self-
respect, or training up a generation of paupers?
It is the part of humility to accept all wise
and faithful teaching, and to treasure the lessons
experience brings. "Love, and do what thou
wilt," says St. Augustine, and if you love poor
people you cannot help being an acceptable
visitor to them in their homes. It is always
better to work as part of a well ordered parish ;
and if you have a list given you of families
whom it is your especial province to look after,
your duty is much simplified.
This is no abstract case that need trouble
you, but that of Mrs. A  who lives in the
next street, is a communicant of the same
church, has her children, perhaps, in your class
in the Sunday or sewing school, and belongs to
the Mothers' Mission. You visit her and find
that she has a large family, and life is a hard
struggle. Dirt and disorder reign in the poor
cottage she calls home; she has a weary, care
worn face, and the children a pale, withered look
as if wholesome food was strange to them. The
husband has occasional work, but wastes his

VISITING THE POOR. 119
money in rum and tobacco. Your heart sinks
as, upon opening the door, the smoke, discomfort.
untidiness and disorder which rule within meet
your eyes. It is your first visit, and a stranger
in such quarters is looked upon somewhat
suspiciously. Much good judgment is needed
not to seem to notice the confusion that your
entrance produces; and it is well to observe,
particularly, then, all the rules that good breed
ing inculcates in visiting among friends of your
own social standing.
Who are the people whom every one wel
comes to their houses, whose visits are looked
forward to with interest by each member of the
family? Those whose warm hearts overflow
with love and sympathy for others, and who
manifest, in a thousand little ways, their kindly
sympathy for the welfare and comfort of their
friends. Just such persons meet with cordial
welcome in the houses of the poor. The children
will shout with joy if they see Miss B  's face
turning the corner of the street, and run forward
joyfully to announce her approach. The weary
mother feels a ray of joy stealing into her
heart, as she hears the step of a true friend.

120 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
If you inquire of Miss B  how she secured
this affection and confidence, she may not
recognize the happy secret, that it was love
which secured love ; but she would probably tell
you how sorry she felt for poor Mrs. A  , who
had such a struggle to get along with her large
family, and you could see that she loved them,
sympathized with them, and was constantly
thinking how she could bring a little lightness
into dark, cold lives. Poverty is a cruel thing,
and only the grace of God can prevent it from
blunting the sensibilities and perverting the
moral sense. The two things which the wise
Agur asked of the Lord, we also require: "Deny
me them not before I die. Remove far from
me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty
nor riches; feed me with food convenient for
me, lest I be full and deny Thee, and say, who
is the Lord? or lest I be poor and steal, and
take the Name of my God in vain."
Find out the hours when it is most conveni
ent for you to call upon your humble friends, and
be careful not to interfere with their meals or
morning's duties. If you cannot remember the
details of each family on your list, it is well to

VISITING THE POOR. 121
keep a little note book of them and a record of
each visit you pay them. See that the interval
between your visits is not too long, and if your
time is well filled up with other duties, take
only a few names. Win confidence so that they
will tell you of their joys and sorrows, their
losses and needs, without your appearing to pry
into their affairs. When this is gained you will
be able to help them in many ways, and suggest
improvements in their household arrangements
without seeming to officiously interfere.
If you miss the mother from church, or the
children from the school, be particular to go
immediately to inquire the reason. Serious
illness may be prevented by timely relief, and
the presence of a judicious friend is doubly
welcome in sickness. Find out what is most
needed in such cases, and endeavor to supply
the need. Some Mothers' Missions keep a
chest of household linen and clothing, to lend to
their sick members in case of illness when the
demand is greater than poor people can meet.
Double wrappers, flannel jackets, blankets,
quilts, sheets, pillow cases, towels, and under
clothing are made up by the congregation and
kept for this purpose.

122 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
Infants' wardrobes are prepared, and gifts
are often received from families whose children
have died, to be loaned to poor mothers. See
that each article is carefully washed before it
is returned to the closet or shelf, and that no
infectious disease has been in the family using
them. Notice the books and papers that may be
lying about where you visit, and try to change
a bad class of literature for a better. Some
persons have a great regard for anything that
is printed; and a parish visitor was once told
quite indignantly, when she asked where the
peculiar name of one of her Sunday School
scholars originated; "Why, I got it out of a book;
did you never hear of Alawinda, the female
pirate?" Many girls, in humble life, take the
first step in the downward path from reading
such books, and the destroyer of souls has no
more active agents than those who write and
circulate them.
Be careful to report to the rector of the
parish cases of serious illness among the poor
communicants committed to your charo-e. It
is impossible for him to be informed of such

VISITING THE POOR. 123
things intuitively; and yet you hear persons say,
"I have been ill for weeks and the rector has
not been near the house," when they have taken
no means to inform him of the fact. In
protracted sickness it is often necessary to give
a weekly allowance from the communion alms;
and where you are known and loved you may
advise upon the best ways of expending this
sacred trust.
Cultivate a gentle, tender, quiet and respect
ful manner in speaking to poor people. Avoid
all bustling, impetuous ways of rushing into their
homes, and out again, before they have regained
their composure. Good judgment, guided by
experience, will teach you to exercise true
charity, and "The heart at leisure from itself
To soothe and sympathize,"
is a constant suggestion of ways and means to
do faithful service to God's poor. "Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least of these,
ye have done it unto Me."'

LETTER XII.
ALMSGIVING.
fUBLIC sentiment occasionally becomes
aroused in right trains of thought; and
recently Christian people seem to be awaking to
more correct views upon the great subject of stim
ulating and directing the gifts of the faithful.
After trying many plans, which, for a time, are
partially successful, but soon fall away, much
inquiry is being made as to God's plan — the
giving of tithes for the support of His worship,
the teaching of His children, feeding His poor,
beautifying His sanctuary, and spreading abroad
His Gospel in the great fields of heathen dark
ness and superstition.
Do you realize how much of their substance
the Jews were commanded to give to the service
of God? Abraham, the father of the faithful,
when met by Melchisedec, priest of the Most
High God, gave him a "tenth part of all;" and

ALMSGIVING. 125
Jacob, his grandson, made a vow, after his
wonderful dream at Bethel, when he set up a
stone there to be God's altar, and said, "Of all
that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the
tenth unto Thee."
When His children had escaped from Egyp
tian bondage, and were encamped in the wilder
ness about Mt. Sinai, God "called Moses up to
the top of the mount" and gave him, amid
circumstances of the utmost solemnity and
grandeur, the Holy Commandments for their
guidance, and minute directions for His worship
and their separation from the surrounding
heathen. "And the sight of the glory of the Lord was
like devouring fire on the top of the mount. . . .
and Moses went into the midst of the cloud. . . .
and was in the mount forty days and forty
nights." The first directions were concerning
the offerings for the tabernacle; "of every man
that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall
take my offering; and this is the offering which
ye shall take of them, gold, and silver, and brass,
and blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen  oil for
light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet

126

A LIFE OF SERVICE.

incense, onyx stones, and stones to set in the
Ephod  and let them make Me a Sanctuary,
that I may dwell among them."
Thus most careful provision was made from
the best and most costly stores, of willing
offerings for making the adornment and con
struction of a resting place for the Mighty
Lord, who had brought them out of Egypt to be
a peculiar people to Himself. For the mainten
ance of the priests who ministered in this
sanctuary, the Jew gave his first fruits, about
the fiftieth of all his grain. Forty-eight cities
were set aside for the tribe of Levi, and thirteen
for the priests, about four thousand acres in all,
and the tithe of everything was given for their
support. A second tithe was given especially
for the priests and Levites at Jerusalem, which
might be carried there at the time of the yearly
pilgrimages in kind, or, if in money, one-fifth
of its value was to be added.
There were, besides, ten kinds of offerings —
weekly, monthly, yearly, and on special occa
sions. The salary of the priests was the portion
of sacrifices reserved from the altar, the first
fruit of the crops, everything devoted to the

ALMSGIVING. . 127
Lord, the firstlings of all cattle, the first fleece
of all sheep, the redemption money of the first
born, a tenth of the Levites' tithes, a fifth of
the trespass offerings, and a fourth of the fruit
of all planted trees. Thus about a fourth part
of the property of every Jew was given to the
Lord. The scribes and Pharisees, in the days of our
blessed Lord, followed every precept of this law;
they fasted twice a week, and gave tithes of all
they possessed ; and our righteousness, He told
us, must exceed theirs. Does it equal it now?
The law was "a shadow of good things to come;"
do we, who have entered fully into the enjoyment
of the substance, show our gratitude by larger
offerings than those of the Jews?
The Mighty Lord we worship is the same
yesterday, to-day, and forever, and the things
that pleased Him in the days of the patriarchs
and prophets, please Him now. To reverence His
Sanctuary, to make glorious the earthly house
of His abode, to care for His priests, to relieve
His poor, and then to bring free-will offerings
when we seek His courts, is as acceptable nowj

128 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
as in the days of the "open vision" of the seventy
elders of Israel.
But, you may say, "I am poor, I have very
little money, how can I do these things?" The
silver and the gold belong to the Lord, and the
cattle upon a thousand hills. He giveth, or
withholdeth, as seemeth good in His sight, and
in everything that befalls, the highest good of
His faithful children is promoted. "If thou
hast little, do thy diligence gladly to give of that
little," and do it systematically, according to
God's commandment.
The original meaning of the word religion is
rule; and if you wish to lead a religious life, a
life of true service to God and man, you must
order it by the rule of God's law. The tenth
part of your substance is the very least this law
demands, and you should be as faithful and rigid
in paying God's part as you would a debt to your
fellow man. To do this you must be careful in
your expenditure, and, whatever your income
may be. never live fully up to it. Take out God's
portion first, and ask His help and guidance in
wisely disposing of th« remainder.
If this simple rule were followed, the treasury

ALMSGIVING. 129
of the Lord would be full to overflowing, and
His Church would "arise and shine." Every
where the field seems ripe for harvest, but the
reaper must stay his hand, because the inhabi
tants of Meroz are greatly increased, and they
come "not to the help of the Lord, to the help
of the Lord against the mighty."
Knowing how carefully you have been
taught reverence, and how instinctively a heart
touched by the Spirit of God cherishes it, I
need only warn you to endeavor to preserve it
wherever your lot is cast. Some communities
have a habit that, to devout minds, seems
shockingly irreverent; they speak of the offer
ings made in God's house as if they were
extorted by men, whisper and laugh while they
are gathered, and, giving nothing themselves,
seem to consider it an amusing joke that others
should believe it not only a duty, but a pleasure,
to bring an offering whenever they enter the
courts of the Lord.
I do not know that it is even well to speak
of these things to the guilty persons unless they
are young enough for you to have authority to
teach them. A clergyman can do a great deal

130 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
by explaining God's plan, and by throwing as
much reverence into the reading of the offer
tory sentences as their solemn import demands;
and if the children in the Sunday School are
rightly taught, they may remember it in after
years. Most thoughtful parents, above the ranks
of the extremely poor, give their children some
weekly or monthly allowance, that they can spend
as they j)lease. Urge your scholars to keep,
regularly, the tenth of this as the Lord's part.
It is His blessing alone that maketh rich and
addeth no sorrow thereto, and faithful obedience
to His laws always brings this.
The early fathers of the Church taught that
one-tenth of the income, and one-seventh of
our time, was the least of God's requirement,
and for fifteen hundred years this was the
universal rule. What prosperity would bless
our land and Church if we were to return to
this happy obedience, and no longer rob God
of His tithes and offerings! Then might the
dark waters of financial ruin and national
disgrace, which seem ready to engulph us, be
rolled back, and the Lord give His people the
blessing of peace.

LETTER XIII.
CULTURE.
What are the aims which are at the same time duties
in life? The perfecting of ourselves and the happiness of
others. Jean Paul.
For some men think that the gratification of curiosity
is the end of knowledge; some the necessity of supporting
themselves by their knowledge; but the real use of all
knowledge is this: that we should dedicate that reason
which was given us by God to the use and advantage of
men. Lord Bacon.
Ij7EW things are more needless than discus-
- sion as to the relative strength of mind
given to men and women. The Scriptures give,
everywhere, preeminence to man and teach that
woman's manifest inferiority is part of the
punishment our first mother drew upon her
daughters by yielding to the temptation in
the garden. She "said that the tree was good
for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes,
and a tree to be desired to make one wise; she
took of the fruit thereof, did eat, and gave also

132 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
unto her husband with her." The same short
sightedness and refusal to look beyond the
immediate consequences of disobedience has
distinguished many of Eve's descendants.
The great thinkers, the explorers, the pio
neers in the path of thought, the painters who
can move the being to its hidden depths and
make the lifeless canvas speak of joy, revenge
and eternity, have been men. Who formed the
perfect beauty of the Parthenon and hung aloft
the mighty dome of St. Peter's, where all men
go to wonder and worship? Even as they kneel
at the shrine of the Omnipotent One there, they
must mingle with their thoughts of the majesty
of the Creator, those of the magic power He
gave to the mighty genius of the Buonarrotti.
Who are the poets, the great master-singers,
whose songs have come down to us along the
track of ages, whose thoughts that breathe and
words that burn, "haunt us as eagles do the
mountain air?" And whose hands strike with
mystic power the chords of music until the
sweet, sad, passionate melody rings through all
space? Man— "the heir of all ages, in the
foremost files of time."

CULTURE. 133
Because men can never be angels, does it
keep them from rising to the height of their
being and cultivating to the utmost the high
powers God has given them? And so every
woman, in her proper sphere, can draw all the
latent strength of her nature out by true,
dutiful and patient culture.
You had, under the judicious oversight of
faithful parents, the inestimable benefit of a
careful, early education; and because now you
hope to give yourself up more fully than family
duty has before allowed to the service of God
and His Church, do not think you must neglect
opportunities for self-improvement and mental
culture. Try and secure an hour or two daily
for faithful study, either of the languages,
mathematics, or some of the sciences. Plain
sewing enters largely into the lives of most
women, unless they are w-ealthy. Try and
make it less uninteresting by keeping a book
open before you and study while you sew. I
have seen Hebrew and German grammars
propped against the sewing machine, and the
seam was no less beautiful, because the operator
at the same time learned a conjugation, or had

134 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
light thrown upon a disputed reading of a
well-known text.
Where you have many subjects for anxious
thought — as you will constantly for the welfare
of others — learn to put them aside for awhile
and find rest and refreshment in a good book.
Study history, and learn the great facts of
humanity in all their thousand modifications in
the story of the past. Try to rend the veil
which poetry, passion, and partisan prejudice
and pride have thrown over many events, and
read them in their true signification by the light
of the teaching of God's Word, and the revelation
of His plan in the record. Classify your
knowledge and endeavor to add to it constantly.
Truth is a boundless ocean, and, as Sir Isaac
Newton said, "we can but pick up a pebble or
two along the shore.'
But the fair stones are very precious to the
fortunate finder; the search is ennobling, and
the powers of the mind develop daily with their
use. Take the measure of your own mind,
gauge its capabilities, learn its weaknesses, and
find in what points it most needs strengthening.
If your feelings are keen, your imagination

CULTURE. 135
active, and natural sensibilities quick to respond
to the touch of the beautiful, you will find in
study, discipline, food, and training.
Take some one era in history and read all
you can find to throw light upon its characters.
Divest yourself of any bias your early teachers
or reading may have given you, and study with
clear, truth -seeking eyes. Do not dethrone your
childish heroes, because later days will show
you that they, like all men, had their weak spots
and limitations, and be willing to allow that the
Luthers and Cromwells, and even the Henry
VIII's, had their noble points, and helped
us to many of the blessings of the freedom we
now enjoy.
If you are obliged to wait for unpunctual
people, as is often the case when engagements
take you much with others, try and use up the
fragments of time by having a book at hand, and
study and read a little. Beside the real gain all
new ideas afford, it is good for the temper, and
prevents impatience or fretting over the deten
tion. Be careful not to become so absorbed in
the study as to forget the duty at hand, and in
pondering over the needs of the past, neglect

136 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
the pressing call of the present day and hour.
An abstracted, pre-occupied manner is a great
barrier to usefulness, and it is well to be always
ready to lay aside any subject of thought,
however engrossing or interesting, to attend to
the little wants, wishes, or sorrows of other
people. Study those sciences which have a practical
bearing, and particularly the laws which govern
the human frame; learn how fearfully and
wonderfully we are made, and that how to keep
a sound mind in a sound body is a high
achievement of intellect and good sense.
Christian art and architecture is a subject too
wide in its range to touch upon now; but modern
writers have thrown about it such a wealth of
words, and painted its treasures in language so
beautiful, that study in the words of Ruskin,
Hammerton, and others is almost forgotten in
delight. By the careful use of the pictures
which photography places within the reach of
most educated persons, you can compare the
glowing descriptions with shadows of many of
the originals Learn to know a few pictures
well, if your time is limited, and study the

CULTURE. 137
meaning of all the symbols or details introduced.
Good courses of lectures are very improving
when you have studied the subject beforehand.
Unless there is some knowledge of it in the
mind, nothing but striking eloquence will fix the
points in the memory during the rapid summary-
necessary in a lecture. Fragmentary, or half-
forgotten treasures, will be revived by the touch
of a skilful speaker, and will furnish, as it were,
nails upon which to hang new items of
information. Knowledge is not only power, but it is often
the source of most enlarged charity. When we
learn to read human nature aright and see its
history, its power, its weakness, its temptations
in all ages, we understand, sympathize, and love
far better than when our daily life seems to us
a new, strange thing, and the faults and failings
of those about us unprecedented and alarming.
Ignorance is generally uncharitable, and the
more we know, the better we can love, and
execute plans for the benefit of those we love.

LETTER XIV.
SENSITIVENESS.
Time was, I shrank from what was right,
For fear of what was wrong;
I would not brave the sacred fight
Because the foe was strong
But now I cast that finer sense
And sorer shame aside;
Such dread of sin was indolence;
Such aim at Heaven was pride, J. H. Nbwman.
"HAT is said by a recent writer of sentiment
is true of many other things in human
nature: "Sentiment is the pure and healthy
root implanted in man's heart by a beneficent
Creator; sentimentality is the sickly plant which
his ingenious perverseness has raised from the
noble stock." So of sensitiveness; it is a
quality bound up with much that is good,
delightful, and consoling; but it is capable of
being perverted to an enemy who can mar our
lives by embittering our thoughts and destroying

SENSITIVENESS. 1 39
our usefulness. It is the occasion at once of
our purest joy and acutest pain. To be instantly
alive to impressions of beauty in the natural,
moral, and spiritual world, brings vivid pleasure;
but such things are often fleeting, and we must
grasp them quickly, or they
"Fade into the light of common day."
The rosy flush of dawn, the shadows of the
eventide, and the purple after-glow lingering on
the hill tops, the clear sparkle of the mountain
stream, the tender green of the opening buds,
and snowy purity of the blossoms of Spring
thrill every nerve with gladness, and to the
sensitive heart bring healing and peace.
Tokens of a Father's love and thoughtful
kindness to the souls He has made and would
teach, guide, enlarge, and comfort, fall thick
about our path, and some natures find compen
sation for many wounds in catching their fair
proportions and studying their beauty. But
"Hearts that vibrate sweetest pleasure,
Thrill the deepest notes of woe;"
and it is well for them, by the exercise of good
sense and sound judgment, to deaden this
sensitiveness to many forms of mental suffering.

140 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
A parish visitor in deep distress of mind at
the sorrows of the poor, sought counsel of an
aged clergyman noted for his success in labouring
among them. He gave, in a few plain words, the
needed direction to overwrought feeling. "Go
home now. bathe, and sleep for an hour, and do
not enter another very poor person's house until
you have hardened your heart." Do not waste
in idle feeling, the strength that might relieve
the suffering; and let the keen sympathy take a
practical view always, and devise and execute
immediate plans for comforting sorrow and
relieving distress.
There are cases in which man's hand is
impotent, and God alone can help His suffering
children. Do not brood over these in mournful
musing, but pray to Him, "whose tender mercy
is over all His works," and "whose ear is ever
open to the cry of faith." We must always
remember that this is God's world. He permits
evil in it, and its consequences, for some wise
purpose above our limited powers of compre
hension, and we must trust Him to accomplish
His own plans and bring good to its final
triumph. Some of Carlisle's rugged rhymes

SENSITIVENESS. 141
contain much right thinking upon this subject,
and you will find them useful when these
things prey upon your spirits unduly.
' ' What shapest thou here at the world? 'Tis shapen long ago;
Thy Maker shaped it and thought it be ¦ even so;
Thy lot is appointed, go follow its 'hest;
Thy journey's begun, thou must move and not rest
For sorrow and care cannot alter thy case,
'Tis running, not raging, will win thee the race."
The sensitiveness described by Dr. Newman
in the heading to this letter, is the same feeling
manifested differently, and is a great barrier in
the way of true and faithful service. How
continually do you hear it said, "I would gladly
help in that good work; but people will talk; it
seems so officious, or so arrogant in me to
attempt anything of the kind; I have not the
courage to endure the comment it will cause,"
etc. First be sure it is a right thing to do, that
family duty gives you leisure to attend to it; be
careful to do it humbly and prayerfully, and
then you can know that the shrinking is either
indolence or pride. Disarm criticism by gentle
ness, quietness and humility, and accept counsel
with gratitude for good intentions, if you cannot
follow it. Learn from the thrust of your enemies

142 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
— if you must have them — all the weak spots in
your armour, and endeavour to strengthen and
repair them.
Idle people are generally critical, and the
energy that should be expended in labour, goes to
the harsh comments which sometimes disturb
the peace of the faithful labourer. Ignorance is
often a captious critic, and fancies that it is
assuming the part of wisdom to suggest faults,
and condemn methods it does not understand.
When you are troubled in this way, deaden
your sensibilities to prevent wounds, and quietly
sift out the idle and ignorant criticism, ignore
the malicious, and take heed to the grains of
truth and good sense that may be found among
them all.
Perhaps the late King of Italy — Victor
Emmanuel — was one of the most successful
rulers the world has seen in this century. With
a single eye to the unity of his kingdom, he had
rare wisdom in selecting his advisers, and using
them to serve his purpose. We are told that he
employed secretaries to read in foreign journals
every comment upon his administration, partic
ularly those whose interests were opposed to

SENSITIVENESS. 143
his, and to translate and preserve them for his
daily study. And "King Honestman," as his
people loved to call him, learned wisdom from
friend and foe.
There is another kind of sensitiveness which,
unless it proceeds from ill-health, is radically
wrong. If you are always thinking that people
mean to wound you, to slight you, to say unkind
things, and hold you up to ridicule, your body
or mind is in an unhealthy state. If the former,
consult the best medical adviser you know, and
follow his directions implicitly; you are over
wearied, if not ill, and rest will probably bring
back the right tone to your mind. There is a
great deal of good feeling and kindness in the
world, and many people, who are too much
occupied to go out of their way to say or do
anything unkind, will often neglect their own
affairs to do a generous deed.
The wise "Friends in Council" gives a true
prescription for such sensitiveness: "Humility
is a cure for many a needless heartache."
It is a very healthy occupation to wipe out
old scores constantly, and not lay up bad feeling

144 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
for what was, perhaps, an altogether uninten
tional offence. A third part of the alienations
in families and among friends arise from such
misunderstandings, and might be permanently
healed by the exercise of a little good sense,
prudence, and Christian charity. This broad,
beautiful and endearing virtue includes the
whole cure for such sensitiveness as I would
warn you against. If the new translation of the
Bible should supersede our present version,
— which seems now unlikely — let us hope that
its translators will reconsider some points and
eave us "charity" in all its fulness. Its substi
tute seems painfully inadequate to the task,
"Charity suffereth long. . . .seeketh not her own
.... beareth all things .... hopeth all things,
endureth all things."
If you are always looking out for chance
stabs, you will be likely to receive them; but if
you calmly put everything of the kind aside by
the stern exercise of reason, you will rob them
of half their sting. Do not brood over them,
but divert your mind with some engrossing
employment, and do not mention them to other
people. Take the first opportunity you find to

SENSITIVENESS. 145
do some act of kindness to the person who has
wounded you. not ostentatiously, but simply,
quietly, and effectively.
Occasionally you will meet with bright,
witty spirits, who will allow their repartee to
become malicious, and throw poisoned arrows
among their friends. Do not return their
favours in kind, but try and divert their course
from some sensitive soul you know they will
particularly wound, and use your wit to blunt
their sharpness and divest them of their malice.
The fashionable banter tolerated in good
society in these days is an odious thing. You
will find that those who use it most offensively,
are generally extremely sensitive when the
sharp edge is turned towards themselves. People
who tease, can the least bear teasing, and the
most sensitive people think little of other's
wounds. But do not let these things move you
from the path of duty; say with the tender
heart who wrote our initial lines:
"So when my Saviour calls, I rise
And calmly do my best;
Leaving to Him, with silent eyes
Of hope and fear, the rest."

LETTER XV
CONTROVERSY.

"Fear God" has made many men pious; the proofs of
the existence of God have made many men atheists. From
the defiance springs the attack; the advocate begets in the
hearer a wish to pick holes; and men are almost led on
from a desire to contradict the doctor, to the desire to
contradict the doctrine. Joubekt.

7|TOU have heard it said in excuse for religious
^- controversy, that water, unless frequently
stirred, becomes stagnant, and that we are
exhorted by St. Jude to contend earnestly for
the faith once delivered to the Saints. I do
not say that this may not be so — though truth
has an inherent vitality, derived from Him
whose breath it is, that prevents stagnation;
and St. Paul's contention seems a different thing
from modern controversy.
A valiant knight, gifted with many graces of
nature, spirit, religion and culture, can, perhaps,
engage in it without perverting his sweetness of

CONTROVERSY. 147
disxjosition, losing his dignity or compromising
his piety, though you rarely see it done. In
some unguarded moment, a flaw is found in the
armour, even of him wdio battles for the Truth;
and the adversary's lance pierces the temper, if
nothing else. The fair face of Truth is often
hidden in the fray, and her voice silent in the
tumult of the conflict for her rights. If it is
well for any one to engage in religious contro
versy, it is certainly not our province. A
woman's voice should be too low for such an
arena, as her arm is too weak to wield the
weapons it requires, and her mind, generally
untrained by logic and the sterner studies
which fit men for the task, cannot grapple with
the foes that the strife will raise seemingly from
the dust of the battle-field.
Mrs. Jameson says truly: that "there are no
such self-deceivers as those who think they
reason when they only feel," and this is
peculiarly a woman's temptation. The very
warmth of her emotions and the intensity of her
likes and dislikes, the strength of her
prejudices, and the sensitiveness of her wh ole
nature, should warn her always to avoid a war

148 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
of words. Declamation is not argument, and
abundant emphasis upon strings of high sound
ing adjectives is powerless for conviction. And
then, too, women are perilously apt to confound
the doctrine with the doctor, and fancy that the
former is disproved when its advocate is disposed
of as "a horrid wretch!"
A dignified lady of the old courtly school of
manners, when asked the secret of her success
in society, said, playfully, '"I never discuss —
I listen." Because this is one of the most
difficult accomplishments we have to acquire,
we are utterly unfitted for controversy. A
woman's mind will often, by intuition, guess a
secret that man is painfully toiling up logical
steps to unravel, and her bird-like faculties may
sometimes pick out a diamond from chance
places, while her slower friend is washing the
sands in careful search for it on the shores of
Truth. This renders her impatient of the surer,
safer process, and forgetful of the counsel of the
wise King, "He that answereth a matter before
he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him."
The rule of quiet obedience and unques
tioning faith, is the only one that will give you

CONTROVERSY. 149
peace in discharge of often painful duty for the
poor, the sick, and the suffering; so, while
personally you shun engaging in controversy,
beware of the society of those whose every
thought tends to argument. Take your stand
upon the Bible, the Creeds, and the testimony
of the undivided Church in the early Councils,
and believe the promise that whosever doeth
His will shall know of the doctrine. Particu
larly avoid all disputes about the "holy mys
teries" which Christ has ordained "as pledges
of His love, and for a continual remembrance
of His death, to our great and endless comfort."
Think of them in the words of Scripture,
instead of through the mist of obscurity
with which the labours of controversialists
have clouded its words. Make a harmony
of the record of the four evangelists and St.
Paul upon the subject; and if doubts will be
suggested by arguments you seem compelled to
hear, solve them by this unfailing weapon — the
Word of God.
The mysteries which angels desire to look
into might well be left sacred from the strife of
tongues; but if this cannot be, guard your own

150

A LIFE QF SERVICE.

reverence of thought, word, and act, in approach
ing them, and say always, "Thou hast spoken; I
believe, though the oracle be sealed," Accustom
yourself to the limitations which meet you in
every direction, and that are a necessity in a
state of discipline and probation. You do not
understand many things, but you can always do
what is better — have faith in God, and obey the
aphorism of Sir Philip Sydney, "Reason cannot
show itself more reasonable than to leave
reasoning on things above reason."'
In the Church Councils and Congresses,
much excellent speaking assumes controversial
aspect. Try and cultivate a judicial frame of
mind and see both sides. Remember the
contest over the shield of the knight, of which
one side was silver and the other of gold, so that
each party fought for the truth as he saw it;
but, alas, neither could see both sides. Be care
ful, also, that your taste for the beautiful, the
harmonious and the graceful, does not lead you
away from the side of right.
A courteous, well bred man, "upon whose
lips the mystic bee hath dropped the honey of
persuasion," whose voice is governed by the

CONTROVERSY. 151
rules of elocution, whose accent is polished by
ripe culture, whose periods are rounded by
rhetoric while they are dictated by reverence,
true piety and sincere feeling, has an immense
advantage over a rough, uncouth speaker, whose
gestures annoy, whose voice and accent are
unpolished and provincial, and whose egotism
overleaps the boundaries of polite usage and
good taste. Yet, after all, the blunt orator may
have found the gem, the priceless gem of truth,
while the acute schoolman may be wandering
among shadows of his own creating.
Culture, eloquence, good taste, gentleness,
candor, reverence and earnestness are all gifts
and graces to be desired, and whose, attainment
is worth much effort; but a strong, native genius
can sometimes do without them, and the ring of
the clear metal will sound above them all.
The great champions for faith have been
obliged to engage in many fierce controversies,
and it is right to value their services. That
grand spectacle of "Athanasius against the
world," proclaiming "the Catholic faith is this:
that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in
Unity," is not a solitary instance in the Church's

152 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
history. Doubtless, then, as in the time when
Elijah said, "I, even I, only remain a prophet of
the Lord," He who seeth in secret could say,
"Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel,
all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal."
But they held the faith in secret and in fear;
and, as when the giant of Gath defied the armies
of the living God, but a single "youth, ruddy
and of a fair countenance," was found to accept
his challenge and go forth to the combat.
A recent writer, in speaking of the men who
settled the foundations of our American branch
of the Church, lamented their narrowness and
intimated that their main idea was to hedge in
"a snug little Zion of their own." It was
noticed in deprecating this disparagement of
their labours, that it was owing to their faith
fulness and zeal that we had now any Zion left
to us. We cannot judge how necessary some of
those fierce controversies were in the past, and
should not undervalue the good intentions of
many who engaged in them: but we can accept
the result without reviving the old issues, and
rejoice that, the strife being ended, united
labour is possible as never before.

LETTER XVI.
RIGHT JUDGMENT.
Judge of yourself by the good you might do, and
neglect; and of others by the evil they might do, and omit;
and your judgment will be poised between too much
indulgence for yourself and too much severity on others.
Lavateb.
You should forgive many things in others, but
nothing in yourself. Ansonius.
'"COHERE are few places where you will find it
&- possible to do faithful service alone; and
concert of action with others, to be free from
irritation, demands the constant exercise of
right and charitable judgment. The most
successful parish work is that done under the
authority of the rector, or by persons acting by
his appointment. In this case the plans are
matured in private and the details only entrusted
to subordinates. Thus an immense amount of
friction is prevented, and when the plans are

154 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
wisely laid according to the teaching of experi
ence, and are not the impracticable visions of a
dreamer, the smoothness of the machinery
obviates much waste of time, strength, and
speech. But these happy parishes are unfortunately
not common, and hap-hazard methods of
administration require the utmost prudence and
careful thought, to prevent unseemly dissension
among those who do the actual work. The
actual workers are seldom consulted in time for
efficient action, but often at the eleventh hour
of the working day are told that it was supposed
they knew they were expected to make the
necessary arrangements.
Haste produces nervousness — and this often
impatience and irritability; then harsh judg
ments and peevish words are too apt to follow.
If you have been accustomed to such a state of
things it may not seem strange to you, and»the
impression prevails that these are essential
elements of Church work, for excellent results
are often obtained in spite of the constant jar.
Earnestness in one or two people always
produces wonderful effects, but the wear that

RIGHT JUDGMENT. 155
want of system entails is great. It is not often
in the power of a woman, unless she occupies by
relationship to those in authority a sort of semi
official capacity, to produce a change, except in
a limited degree, in the manner of working a
parish. But it is always in her province to pour
oil on troubled waters, and by quietness,
gentleness, and unobtrusive faithfulness, to
make the best of indolence, carelessness, and
forgetfulness. If you have a right judgment by the gift of
nature, you will almost by intuition see things
in their true light. Among uneducated persons
this will often appear strikingly, and you will
find that poor people understand its value. Its
possessor is a sort of oracle in the neighbour
hood; disputed questions, and even family
quarrels, will be proposed to them for solution
and settlement, and you will wonder at the
authority and influence that is exercised. When
this judgment is taught by deep spiritual
insight — the gift alone of the Holy Spirit —
it is an invaluable possession; but constant
prayer and watchfulness will correct the hasty
action that often proceeds from want of the
natural gift.

156 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
Christian people should temper their judg
ments by charity, and be very careful not to
impute wrong motives to those who are trying,
perhaps with many hindrances, to lead a
Christian life. Many errors are the result of
ignorance, inexperience, and want of thought;
and it is wrong judgment to impute them to
selfishness, indolence, and deliberate trifling.
In many cases where the necessity of the hour
does not require immediate decision, it is best to
suspend judgment, and be careful not to allow
any personal feeling to unduly prejudice your
mind. Many things that are not morally wrong in
themselves may be so to certain persons and in
special places. Half of the controversy about
these things would be prevented, if both parties
would only allow this oft-stated truth. One
thinks dancing wrong, though he seldom, if
ever, sees persons dance, and knows nothing of
its grace, beauty, healthfulness, and attraction
for young people. Families, and even commu
nities, are shaken by the harsh judgments of
those who are incompetent to form any judg
ment in the matter from ignorance, prejudice,

RIGHT JUDGMENT. 157
and want of sympathy with the high spirits of
youth. Be very careful, then, in condemning
other people's amusements, unless you know
that they are positively sinful in themselves, or
the occasion of such constant and widespread
evil that you cannot be mistaken. Persons will
condemn with the utmost harshness dancing at
evening parties, but think nothing of the wine,
punch, and egg-nogg that are allowed to circulate
freely at their own entertainments, where boys
are lured into the path that leads to untold
misery for their friends and families, and to
ruin of body and soul for themselves.
Among many singular instances of what you
may call judicial blindness, I shall never forget
the triumph with which an excellent woman
announced that no child of hers had ever
danced, and in the next breath asked her
beautiful daughter to give a young man calling
upon her, some strong punch. In answer to a
quiet word in private, begging her not to give,
at least to this particular friend, such refresh
ment, she said, "but it is Christmas and my
children must have it."

158 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
Thus the holy festival of the Nativity,
celebrated by the Feast of Christ's broken Body
and shed Blood in the morning, was profaned
by drunken revels called "keeping Christmas"
before the evening.
Two sons had gone down dishonoured to
drunkards' graves, one was fast reeling onward
on the same oft-trodden road, and their mother
smiled blandly and put the poisoned cup to other
people's lips, and thought dancing the worst of
social sins!
To attain to a "right judgment in all
things," as we pray at Whitsuntide, you must
learn to see both sides of a question. Truth is
many-sided, and it requires time, experience,
and pray erful thought often to answer Pilate's
question. "What is truth?" We have not only
to hear both sides patiently, but to be careful
that no prejudice, passion or party feeling warp
our own mind during the hearing, and distort
the rays of light that should come through a
colourless medium.
Hasty judgments are rarely right judgments
on account of this natural prepossession for our
own side. At the best
"We see but dimly through the fogs and vapours
Of these our earthly damps;"

RIGHT JUDGMENT. 159
and if the secrets of hearts could be laid open to
us, we would find many things to temper the
harshness of our criticism upon our fellows.
Forgive many things that you cannot excuse,
and remember Burns' advice:
"Then at the balance let's be mute,
We never can adjust it;
What's done we partly may compute,
We know not what's resisted."
In judging our own errors and faults, the
temptation is toward too great leniency, though
if the mind allows itself to become morbid by
dwelling too long upon little failures, we may be
harsh in self-condemnation beyond the require
ments of the case. The wisdom that cometh
from above is the only security against this
conceit of our own powers, or the paralyzing
effects of undue depreciation of our right
intentions; and this alone can help us to first
cast out the beam out of our own eye, and give
us the clear sight needed, if we attempt to cast
out the mote from our brother's eye.

LETTER XVII.

THE BIBLE CLASS.

^p-HE four years between the ages of sixteen and
A- twenty are those during which it is most
difficult to secure young people to the Church
and Sunday school. Unless they are constantly
watched and guarded then, they are apt to fall
under the influence of careless, idle, or wicked
companions, and wander far from God and the
restraining teachings of the Church. Even the
children of religious people, unless strictly
taught and prayerfully trained in obedience to
the rubrics of the Prayer-Book, will be restless
under the discipline of the Sunday school, and
often at this most critical time in their lives are
only kept there by the command of their
parents, or the affection they may entertain for
a faithful teacher.

THE BIBLE CLASS. 161
Let the teacher of such use every effort in
her power to retain her scholars in the school.
Visit them, if possible, in their homes and
work-shops, and try and interest them in the
decorations and adornment of the Church and
Sunday school rooms. It is always well to
enlist all the strong feelings of youth in
behalf of their school, and not only to make
them feel pleasure, but pride, in its order,
beauty and prosperity. Esprit de corps
is an excellent thing, and if from the time
children enter the infant school it is constantly
inculcated, when they are ready for the Bible
class they will have thoroughly learned the
lesson. Where the members of your class have come
up regularly through all the grades of the
school, the duty of the teacher is much sim
plified, but this will probably not be the case with
half your scholars. Many parents allow their
children to come to Sunday school so unpunc-
tually and irregularly that they derive very little
benefit from it; and you will often find boys and
girls in a Bible class, who, though they have
been nominally members of the school for many

162

A LIFE OF SERVICE.

years, are more ignorant of the first principles
of religious truth than a well-taught child of six
years of age.
Parents are the best instructors, and when
these heartily cooperate with faithful teachers
the happiest results are secured; but these
hints are hardly needed in such cases. An
experience of Sunday Schools in many places,
and of many different classes, has been that
faithful parental instruction is rare, and, even
among religious people, great ignorance of the
fundamental principles of the Bible and Prayer
Book is too common.
This is particularly the case among boys;
there often seems an almost impenetrable wall
of stolid indifference erected in their minds
against even the facts of the Bible, and to a new
teacher they often affect more ignorance than
they really possess.
If you are patient and prayerful, you can, in
time, pierce this hard crust, and then the truths
taught with so little seeming appreciation will
spring up and bear fruit. Do not be discouraged
if you have to repeat the same things each
week; try to make the constant repetition

THE BIBLE CLASS. 163
interesting by faithful study, and give new
facts for the bright, attentive, and thoughtful
pupils. In reading over the appointed lesson in
Scripture, many plans have been tried to secure
the attention of all the scholars. In a class of
twelve young people over the age of sixteen,
when the authority of the parents has not been
exerted to secure the preparation of the lesson
at home, you will find, perhaps, two or three
who have looked at it beforehand, but know
very little about it; the same number have made
careful preparation, and the rest cannot even
tell where the lesson is. These are the idle,
mischievous or careless ones, whose attention
you must strive to secure. Generally, they read
so imperfectly and stumble so painfully over
the names and longer words, that the other
members of the class will laugh at them, or
allow their attention to wander.
The most successful plan has seemed to read
over the appointed lesson yourself to them
aloud first. Ask them to observe particularly if
you give the proper accent, emphasis and
pronunciation to every word, and if each

164 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
member of the class gets a true idea of the
meaning of the text. Then, if you occupy a
separate room, and can do so without disturbing
others, let them all read the lesson together.
After this let them read it by verses in turn. I
have known this way of reciting the lesson to
arrest the attention of those who were most
careless before, and the three repetitions are
sufficient to enable all but the dullest pupil to
answer the questions upon it.
In teaching young people whose minds have
been disciplined by study in good day schools,
you will, of course.be able to take a wider range
and will need more careful preparation for your
instruction. Study the lesson thoroughly your
self, and write out the exposition you draw from
the best authorities accessible to you. Shun all
controversy, and if members of the class intro
duce objections, tell them quietly, but concisely,
the arguments for the truth.
Remember that the Bible was given to us to
teach the things that belong to the salvation of
the soul, not science, or merely human learning.
Its language is optical like that of common life,
not the exact diction of trained experts in

THE BIBLE CLASS. 165
Nature's laws. Study scientific objections,
that you may be able to give a reason for the
faith that is in you, and remember that some of
the most learned scientists have been humble
Christians. Galen, Copernicus, Kepler, Faraday
and Newton read deeply the secret things of
Nature, and threw light upon many of her
wonderful laws; yet they brought their knowr-
ledge in all lowliness to the foot of the Cross
and craved the mercy to be found there.
The epitaph upon the tombstone of Coperni
cus, in St. John's of Freuenberg, is: "Not the
grace bestowed on. St. Paul do I ask; not the
favor shown to St. Peter do I crave; but that
which Thou didst grant the robber on the
Cross do I implore."
Mr. Keble thought that ladies' teaching was
often most effective for boys, — "It aroused," he
said, "the dormant chivalry in them." To
develop and retain this sentiment you must
treat them with the utmost courtesy and
gentleness, and never let your reproof be such
as could be ascribed to personal feeling. Be
very careful not to betray any irritation, even if
you discover deep-laid plans to annoy you, to

166 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
trip you in statements, or to show off apparent
discrepancies in Scripture. It is generally best
to give the simplest and most natural interpre
tation that Church commentators set forth in
explanation of the Gospel. Do not strive for
originality, but be contented with understand
ing and applying other people's thought.
There is much that is beautiful in the
symbolism of the Bible; its numerals and its
oriental figures have deep meaning, only drawn
forth by diligent study; but beware of strained
and fanciful interpretation, and particularly of
dwelling upon any one impractical point to the
exclusion of all else.
A well-balanced mind is one of the most
desirable graces which philosophy teaches us to
acquire, but it can soon be destroyed if we allow
it to dwell too long upon any one subject, even
of religious truth. Who has not seen people
whose usefulness was impaired, if not wholly
ruined, by talking and teaching the doctrine of
the second Advent of our blessed Lord, and the
obligations of Christians to strive for a "higher
life," to the exclusion of the thousand thoughts,
motives, and duties so abundantly presented in

THE BIBLE CLASS. 167
the Word of God? Live always like those who
wait and watch for their Lord, and believe that
"if He shall come in the second watch, or come
in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are
those servants."
If you believe that the branch of the "Holy
Catholic Church" to which you belong, retains
the faith once delivered to the Saints in apostolic
purity and practice, love it, teach its doctrines,
and uphold them in their grandeur, simplicity
and truth to your scholars. Let others who
mock at the fair Bride of the Lamb point out
the spots of earthly defilement which they may
imagine soil her white raiments; but let not the
children rend them from the gracious mother
because the adversary is strong. Speak rever
ently of "Her sweet communions, solemn vows.
Her hymns of love and praise;"
and by precept and example teach your pupils
to rejoice that the lot is fallen unto us in a fair
ground; yea, that we have a goodly heritage.

LETTER XVIII.
MANNERS.
Manners are the happy ways of doing things; each
one a stroke of genius or of love, now repeated
and hardened into usage. They form at last a rich
varnish, with which the routine of life is washed and
its details adorned. Emkbbon.
X WISH I could coin a few emphatic words to
-*- impress upon you the great importance of
cultivating pleasant manners. The best inten
tions, the most generous, unselfish and praise
worthy efforts often fail in producing the right
effect upon others, because the cold, harsh
manner in which they are made chills, offends,
and often hopelessly alienates those whom they
are designed to benefit. There is no reproach
you hear more constantly brought against women
who are really giving their lives to good works,
than that their freezing manners frighten the
timid, and disgust the very people they ought
to conciliate.

MANNERS. 169
I am sorry to acknowledge that often the
reproach is well founded; and some noted
examples of whole-hearted devotion to the wel
fare of the poor and the suffering, have made
"spots in their feasts of charity" by the careless,
rude way in which they at first repulsed every
one who approached them. The harm done to
the cause to which they were really sacrific
ing time, strength, and means, is great. Young-
people say, "I will not have anything to do with
that charity; it makes people so disagreeable."
"I cannot join that society, though I approve of it
heartily, because I could not be in the room
with that cross Mrs. D  ." They will shrink
from even the most necessary consultation
because of the quick, sharp replies that it will
evoke. Unfortunately, bad manners are more con
tagious than good; and, as Emerson says, others
"stereotype the lesson they have learned into a
mode," until to the stranger it seems intolerable.
I would earnestly beg you to avoid catching this
tone, and contracting this habit in your life of
.service. A gracious act is twice as gracious if
done in a graceful manner, and much of the

170 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
ingratitude which is returned for kindness, is
due to the way in which the benefit was
conferred. Be true, but express yourself kindly ;
be sincere, but never harsh, in expressing truth.
An African chief, in requesting an English
traveller to have a missionary sent to his tribe,
asked particularly that he should be a gentleman.
Savages and children are usually very suscep
tible to the influence of good manners; and,
perhaps, one great secret of the wonderful charm
the martyr Bishop of Melanesia — Coleridge
Pattieson — bore about from island to island of
his widely extended diocese, was the high-bred
courtesy with which he treated the dusky objects
of his love and care. He loved them, he taught
them, and gave his life in seeking to win new
islands to the fold; but he never forgot, by
constant gentleness, to show his love.
It is not always easy to do this. Difficulties
and annoyances meet us everywhere. You
must often expect perverseness, stupidity,
ingratitude, and even maliciousness from the
recipients of your bounty, and unkindness,
captiousness. suspicion, envy, and all unchari-
tableness from others. But you must learn to

MANNERS. 171
be very patient in unraveling and removing
difficulties, and in restraining all expressions of
irritation when your plans are frustrated, and
offences are repeated.
A parish visitor, whose district contained
some of the worst families in the town, made a
daily call upon one in which a child was ill of
fever. The grandfather, a surly ruffian, whose
rugged face bore the impress of his life of crime,
had a large dog, only a little less fierce than
himself. This was loosened regularly, and flew
at the lady as she descended the steps into the
basement area, grasping her cloak, and pre
venting further progress. A naturally fearless
disposition repressed all exclamations of fright;
and, by speaking very gently, the dog
would relax his hold, and she could enter the
house. Not the least notice was ever taken of
the manifest unkindness that prompted the
deed, or of the signal that produced the assault;
and delicacies were brought for the sufferer at
each visit. At the end of a week the dog was
withdrawn, and the old man would take the
pipe from his mouth to reply to the visitor's
salutation.

172 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
This is the way in which all annoyances
should be met; avoid all notice of the intention,
and preserve a serene and unruffled demeanor
amid scenes that produce inward storms.
"Forewarned is forearmed," says the proverb.
If you expect such things, they need not startle
you. Let your soul dwell aloft amid high
thoughts, and upon serene heights of happiness,
where the Grace of God feeds those who trust
in His mercy. To lead others into the same
peaceful paths where you find rest, you must
make the way pleasant, and show, by your
gentleness, winning speech, friendliness,
courtesy, unselfishness and refinement, that
you have been taught in the school of life by
the meek and lowly Son of God.
Life is education; "time, a measured portion
of infinite duration," given to fit us for higher
spheres of activity and duty, when we shall
have passed from this one room of our Father's
mansions to another. "I go to prepare a place
for you," said the Holy One before He took the
last step in the life of suffering that purchased
for us the right to enter it. He, a spotless
Victim, came in the fulness of time, to bear our

MANNERS. 173
sins in His own body on the tree; and shall we
fail in following the blessed steps of His most
holy life, in loving as He loved, and in showing
that love by faithful service to Him in minis
tering to His suffering children?
The true secret of all good manners is hidden
in the aphorism of Goethe, — "With renunciation
alone can the real life of man be said to begin."
It is giving up our own selfish thoughts, actions,
aims, and plans freely, gracefully, and continually,
to advance the interests of others; it is
restraining the hasty comment, the rash expres
sion of unfavorable opinion; in short, obeying
perfectly the golden rule, "Therefore, all things
whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,
do ye even so to them."
By constantly exercising self-restraint, the
manners acquire dignity and polish. The very
effort we make refines and elevates the character.
If you are in high position, and in authority
over those about you, be very careful to resist
the temptation to become over-bearing, and loud
in voice and manner. Remember, always to
"Speak gently! It is better far
To rule by love than fear;
Speak gently! Let no harsh words mar
The good we might do here."

174 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
You have doubtless witnessed the wonder
fully refining influence that true religion brings
over the manners of those who, even late in life,
have been brought under its sway. Amid much
to discourage and depress the spirits you will
have this gleam of comfort in your labors:
when the hard heart is humbled by the story of
the Cross, and the mighty power of God has
changed the life of those who were before
strangers to its softening grace, you will often
find the outward manner telling of the quiet
ness and peace within. The highest type of all
good is their daily study, and He who pleased
not Himself has become their friend and guide.
Extremes meet, and I can recall instances
of refined courtesy among our old-fashioned
colored people as striking as that of the most
cultivated society people. Unselfishness must be
at the root of good manners, and a careful avoid
ance of careless words and hasty denial. If you
are compelled to utter disagreeable truths, put the
pleasanter part of the subject first, and come
gradually to the other. Cloak your negatives;
do not put them forth at once in their full
harshness.

MANNERS. 175
You will hear constant apologies made for
really well-meaning people, whose bluntness,
irritable replies, and hasty answers offend, in
the comprehensive excuse, "It is her way," and
the expressive, if homely, characterization, "Her
bark is worse than her bite." Let me beg you
not to contract a "way," and never to indulge in a
"bark." One instance of bad manners that
begins in a nervous habit, is particularly
disagreeable to most persons; that is, laughing
upon all occasions, no matter how serious the
subject discussed may be, and how grave the
circumstances of those about you. "Giggling
girls" have been the subject of much satire, but
the high spirits of youth allow a wide margin in
their behalf. But to continue this habit in
later life is so silly and senseless, that those who
indulge in it can expect barely tolerance, and
often contempt.
The Duke of Wellington is reported to have
said that "Waterloo was gained at Eton and
Harrow;" so true is it that the habits and
manners we acquire during our school days,
have power to make and mould our future years-

176 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
The haste of modern life is a great obstacle
to the cultivation of good manners. Therefore,
avoid the hurry which seems often a necessary
condition of the crowded days that come to us.
When you get up in the morning, the duties
that lie before you will often rise to a mountain
height, and you will be tempted to go forth to
them in a flurried, distracted spirit. Then, what
some modern writer calls "the contrariety of
inanimate nature" will meet you; doors will
bang, china will fall, books will be out of place,
the fire goes out, and a thousand obstacles will
seemingly arise to bar your progress. Unless you
can attain calmness under all such annoyances,
you will be likely to show your impatience by
some breach of good manners, and by venting it
upon the innocent persons who share your labours.
Have in your heart some prayer or poem to say
at such times, to repress any hasty word, such as
Bonar's lines:
"Calm me, my God, and keep me calm.
Soft resting on Thy breast,
Soothe me with holy hymn and psalm,
And bid my spirit rest "
The effort you make to recall them will be
beneficial, and the nervous feeling of haste will
pass away.

LETTER XIX.
LITTLE THINGS.
There is no action so slight nor so mean but it may
be done to a great purpose and ennobled thereby; nor is
any purpose so great but that slight actions may help it,
and may be so done as to help it much, most especially
that chief of all purposes, the pleasing of God. Ruskin.
He who waits to do a great deal of good at once will
never do anything. De. Johnson.
fFELT in my last letter that I had given you
a very feeble transcript of the strength of
my impression of the importance of acquiring
pleasant manners; and I must try to add a few
words upon the necessity of observing and
thinking of little things, as essential to the
possessor. Life is made up of just such small
observances and thought; and to keep the mind
open to remember and the heart and hands
ready to practice them, is the true secret of good

178

A LIFE OF SERVICE.

manners. There are few memories sadder in
the retrospect than the "might-have-beens."
The friend, now cold and alienated, was estranged
for the lack of a few cordial words when
misunderstanding first opened the breach. If
those little words had been spoken which pride
stifled, or diffidence refused to utter at the
bidding of the heart, that friend might have
been a life-long solace and support.
Cultivate the habit of always expressing
your gratitude for little favors that are done to
you. Particularly in your intercourse with the
poor, and those who may be under your authority,
notice any little thing they may have arranged
to please you, any following of your wishes and
carrying out of your plans, and express your
appreciation, pleasure and gratitude fully and
cordially. Those who are blessed with this
world's goods have a thousand ways of showing
their affection, and can, with small trouble to
themselves, give tangible proof of their interest
and kindly feeling. But poverty circumscribes
all the loving dictates of the heart; and it is only
by careful study that it can find a way to
express its gratitude and love.

LITTLE THINGS. 179
Few things are more chilling, than the failure
to make the least response by word or look of
appreciation, when the utmost pains have been
taken to gratify the taste of a friend, perhaps
at a large expenditure of time and thought.
This may be classed among the little things,
but it is a great breach of good manners.
In society, think not so much of your own
enjoyment, but study the tastes and dispositions
of your friends, that you may see that they are
suited with a companion, or employment.
Introduce persons whom you judge to be
congenial to each other, and provide for the
shrinking and the diffident. Look after the
invalids, and see that they have comfortable
seats and footstools, and that the air and light
are arranged as is most pleasant to them. If
you have been ill yourself, you will understand
how important these little things are, and how
the comfort of the whole evening is marred for a
person who is not well, by an awkwrard seat or a
glare of light upon the eyes.
Never rudely criticise other people's amuse
ments, or condemn them as frivolous and
uninteresting. Tastes differ, and God has not

180 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
made you the judge for them. If you find that
your spiritual growth is not promoted by
indulging in certain social entertainments, give
them up, if you can do so without injury, or
occasioning unpleasant feelings to others. But
do not think that because you do not care for
them you are any better than those who indulge
in them. Things indifferent can become bad
by being left wholly to those whose only aim in
life is amusement; and the influence of a good
woman can cast a refining and elevated tone
over any society in which she mingles.
"Small service is true service while it lasts;"'
and be careful not to overlook the opportunities
of rendering it quietly and efficiently. There is
a degree of humility that becomes morbid;
do not allow yourself to cherish such a guest in
your heart. Every one has some gift, some
talent, some acquirement for which he must
give account when "the Lord of those
servants cometh and reckoneth with them."
The five talents will gain "five talents more," and
the two can gain "two other talents beside them;"
and it is only the "wicked and slothful servant"
who will be afraid and hide his talent in the earth.

LITTLE THINGS. 18]
Every day we can see the promise fulfilled: "For
unto every one that hath shall be given, and he
shall have abundance; but from him that hath
not shall be taken away, even that which he
hath." We cannot add to the happiness of those we
love unless we look carefully after little things.
"Little deeds of kindness
Little words of love"
alone can brighten the path of life. God or
dains that the souls He fits for the enjoyment
of Himself, should be made "perfect through
suffering;" and to each is given its appointed
burden of sorrow or care. But this sorrow can
be comforted, and this care lightened, by the
ministry of kindly words and deeds. It is not
enough to love deeply and truly, to feel earnest
and affectionate Sympathy; but you must show
this love and sympathy by gentle words and
acts. The time is short in which we can thus
strew flowers on the darkened path of our
friends, and soon the words that might have
cheered the living can be sobbed forth only
over the grave; and the garlands whose sweet
ness might have refreshed their weary spirits

182 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
must be hung over the cold marble of their
tombs. If there is any one living to whom you have
not rendered grateful acknowledgement of
kindness, help, and sympathy, hasten to do so
now. Life is a school, and how shall the
teachers know that the lessons they set are of
value to the heart and mind of the pupil, if the
gleaming eye does not show it, and the expressive
word is not spoken to point to its significance?
This acknowledgment may be the "cup of cold
water" which, if given in the name of a disciple,
shall in no wise lose its reward.
A lowr, sweet voice is one of those little
things which are so very pleasant in a woman
as to repay any labor and pains you may take
to acquire it. Elocution and musical science
can teach you much about the suitable pitch,
and inflection, and the management of "chest
tones;" but good, unselfish feeling will teach you
more. Loud talking is so offensive to good
manners that you must not let any haste or
excitement induce you to adopt it. Watch
very carefully when you are hurried or annoyed,
that you do not raise your voice; it will increase

LITTLE THINGS. 183
your nervous haste and deepen your annoyance.
You may injure by your vehemence those you
most dearly love, and offend those for whose
welfare you are willing to make many sacrifices.
By not speaking without reflection, you will be
able to govern your voice as well as your temper,
and the soft words which come then will be
much more efficacious.
One little thing which you must be careful to
watch, is the opportunity that will come to you
to speak a kindly word of warning to those who
stand in dangerous places, and to whom the
temptation of the senses is strong. There was a
time when the life that is now darkened by sin,
was open and bright with the promises of
intellect and virtue. The tempter came with
the poisoned wine cup wreathed with the roses
of festivity, and sparkling with the joys of youth.
A few words then of warning, of cordial interest
and affection, might have dashed aside the bowl
beneath whose flowers lurked madness and
death, and whose sparkle concealed the serpent
writhing below. Then, it was a little thing to
speak; how, a giant's weight alone can break
the cords of the fatal habit that is swiftly
dragging its victim down to death and hell.

184 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
Never speak lightly of any sin, but particu
larly do not laugh at any silly or disgusting-
exhibition of intemperance. Pity the degraded
victim, and, if you can, draw him from the mire
into which the baser instincts of his nature will
drag him. It is a little thing to offer the wine
cup to a friend, but untold ages of misery may
be the effect of that act. Everywhere, in the
mysterious economy of nature, trifling causes
may produce tremendous changes. Tiny drops
trickling upon granite can wear away the
pondrous mass, and the water-flood may deluge
the emerald-clad valley. Among the workings
of that wonderful laboratory we call Nature,
it is often found that little things can set in
motion mighty convulsions, and produce grad
ual, but sure, revolutions. And so in the moral
and spiritual world, "Little things
On little wings
Bear little souls to heaven."

LETTER XX.
OBEDIENCE.
"Great may be he who can command
And rule with just and tender sway;
Yet is diviner wisdom taught
Better by him who can obey.
Blessed are those who died for God
And earned the martyr's crown of light;
Yet he who lives for God may be
A greater conquerer in His sight."
Miss Pboctor.
JN the restlessness which is such a marked
characteristic of modern life, many of the
quiet, unobtrusive virtues which fit one for a
life of service, are apt to be undervalued and
overlooked, until experience proves their worth,
and demonstrates how little value is left to the
service without them. Perhaps the most
noticeable point in first making acquaintance
with new organizations, is, that all seem to be
rulers, and none are left to obey. The conflict

186 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
of wills, in such cases, is anything but harmoni
ous, or agreeable, to the worker or spectator.
The powers that be are ordained of God;
civilization is distinguished from barbarism by
a submission to law; and cultivated society from
its reverse, by obedience to the rule which the
accumulated experience of centuries has im
posed upon its members. God's government is
preeminently one of strict rule; and to educate,
develop, and govern our bodies, minds, and
souls, we must render constant obedience to the
laws He has given us, for our physical, mental,
and spiritual welfare.
Concert of action is essential to all successful
work in the parish ; and the rulers in that parish
are those to whom, by God's appointment, you
should render obedience. Perhaps, in many
cases, this will involve some surrender of your
own rights of private judgment as to what is
good and best; and it will be your duty, in
things non-essential, to do this. Few, if any,
human judgments can be so clear and unhesi
tating in their dictates, as to be infallible, and
your own is as liable to be mistaken, as any
other. Always remember this when you obey

OBEDIENCE. 187
laws that seem to you capable of improvement,
and learn a lesson in humility as you do so.
Take the case of a rector who has recently
come into a parish. He brings with him plans
that have been matured by the experience that
the discipline of cities gives, and of whose
correct workings he has had abundant proof.
Instantly the conservatism of a small place is
aroused, although opposition will often find
nothing more sensible to urge against their
adoption, than that "our late rector never
thought of such things." If a few persons will
be willing to sacrifice their own private predilec
tions and dislike to change, to the instinct or
habit of obedience, time will soon secure the
rest. Many persons are unwilling to render this
unquestioned obedience, because they have
never exerted themselves to understand its
necessity. They may say, "other people, whose
feelings are not so strong, or their attachments
so settled, may fall into the ranks, but I can
not." Thus you will often see those who are
capable of rendering most efficient aid in
various kinds of parish work, standing aloof,

188 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
because some of the regular rules hurt then-
prejudices, or are contrary to some old-fashioned
notion of churchmanship. That the world
moves, and that a narrow province is not all of
it, are truths they find difficult to practically
believe; and because others, who have seen
beyond the limited horizon that bounds their
view, will not forget this wider vision, is to
them a cause of offence.
Then is witnessed a sad spectacle to those
who love the Church, and pray for her peace
and unity. Part of a congregation becomes
alienated from- the clergyman, who, by the will
of God, is appointed to teach them His truth.
His grace in their hearts may have strength
sufficient to crush all open signs of enmity; but
they become only passive hearers of the Word,
and refuse all active interest in the work of the
Church. The temptation of the adversary of
souls is powerful to those who thus place them
selves in an offensive attitude against those who
differ from them, until unseemly dissensions
disgrace the Church of God.
If you are so unfortunate as to live in a
parish where such malcontents impede its

OBEDIENCE. 189
healthy action and growth, you must be very
careful not, in the least, to sympathize with
their spirit. Little matters of form and routine
are very small, compared to the love and charity
that should reign among Christian brethren.
You may know, practically, that in many things
there is a more excellent way; but if those in
authority prefer the less effective arrangement,
you must do the best the circumstances of the
case allow, and leave the rest to God. Always
pray fervently for the peace of Jerusalem,
and be careful that your hand, or voice, is never
raised to violate this peace. Very poor plans
can become, by the blessing of God, efficacious
in saving souls, and building up the faithful in
knowledge and love of the truth as it is in
Jesus. There is no branch of Church work where
you will not find it necessary to obey those who
have rule over you. Many little things that
seem attractive have been found, by experience,
to be inexpedient, or tending to confusion, in
caring for the poor. Be very careful to obey
the laws of the society under w-hich you are
working. One failure will often produce many

190 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
others; and it is far better to resign your office,
and all attempts to act in concert with others,
unless you can render this obedience. Punctu
ality is so essential to all successful effort that
you have, doubtless, long since learned its
importance. If your memory is so defective
that you cannot remember the exact time when
your duties claim you, it is well to make a list of
them, and attach it to your calendar, so that it
will always be in sight. Never allow yourself to
think that this obedience to rules is a small
matter. It often affects the whole day; and
one slight transgression will often annoy many
others, and bring additional labour upon some
already fully-burdened friend.
Promptness in obeying is also essential.
The time is short, and unless you attend at once,
to the duty of the hour, the opportunity may be
lost. If you have charge of collecting or
disbursing money for the church, do not wait
till the last practical moment; something may
occur to necessarily detain you then, and this
most important duty is left undone. How many
admirable plans for aiding the missionary work
of the Church have come to naught, because the

OBEDIENCE. 191
agents would not render this essential obedience !
God's tenth has not been collected, or the delay
in sending it has caused suffering and distress
to the faithful missionary, and brought a heavy
pressure of care and debt upon the societies
which look after their interests.
I wish I could sketch for you some of the
painful consequences of disobedience in such
cases. I have heard sensible women say, "Yes,
I will join the society, but I must do as I choose,
come when I like, and obey only those rules of
which I thoroughly approve." An element of
carelessness and insubordination is thus intro
duced that will require much patience, prayer,
good judgment, amiability, and watchfulness, to
overcome. Many must do double duty to make
up the deficiencies of these lawless members,
whose example will often affect others; for
"It is the little rift within the lute
That by and by will make the music mute."
In all the rules laid down for the guidance of
women who give themselves to a religious life
in a community, obedience is one of the points
most strictly insisted upon. Vincent de Paul,
in his first discourse to the sisters of charity,

192

A LIFE OF SERVICE.

who, under his guidance, wrought such a change
in France in the seventeenth century, said to
them: "Your convent must be the house of the
sick; your cell, the chamber of suffering; your
chapel, the nearest church; your cloister, the
streets of a city or the wards of a hospital; the
promise of obedience your soul enclosure, and
womanly modesty your only veil."

LETTER XXI.
THE CARE OF THE SICK.
"The world's a room of sickness, where each heart
Knows its own anguish and unrest;
The truest wisdom then and noblest art,
Is his whose skill to comfort 's best."
XN every little village and town there seems a
-*- choice band of unselfish spirits who give
their time, and strength, to caring for the sick;
and as soon as the harbinger of the Angel of
Death comes to the household, the thoughts of
the inmates go immediately toward these
ministering spirits of humanity. I have often
wished that the records of some of these noble
ones could be given to the world, which is
always bettered by knowing of the soft under
current of noble deeds, and self-sacrificing
devotion, that glides unnoticed and unknown
through the byways of daily life.

194

A LIFE OF SERVICE.

In cities, so much may be purchased by
money, that the friendly office is not so
conspicuous; but among the hidden heroes of
the world few shine with brighter lustre than
those "Whom by the softest step and gentlest i one
Enfeeb'ed spirits own;
And love to raise the languid eye,
When like an angel's wing they feel them flitting by."
There is a degree of natural aptness that
distinguishes these faithful nurses, and makes
their ministrations so acceptable to the weary
sufferer. The quiet footfall, the low, clear voice,
the unhurried movements, the noiseless arrange
ments, and the watchful care that wards off
annoyances, are priceless boons in the chamber
of sickness. They may be acquired by all; and
often the promptings of affection have taught
them to those whose every habit of life was
foreign to their acquisition.
The trained nurses in hospitals, and
especially ladies who have studied under skilled
physicians, attain wonderful facility in sooth
ing the patients, and bringing order, quietness,
and peace to the sick room. They have learned

THE CARE OF THE SICK. 195
the best way of doing everything required for
the comfort of the sufferer, and found the happy
medium of caring for them as their needs
demand, without wearying them by constant
and harassing efforts to relieve. You have
asked me to give you some hints as to the
secret of their success; and though, perhaps, the
same things have been said often before, I will
try and note a few prominent features of it.
The practice of having a "sick room" in each
family is a wise one; and it is well for it to be, if
possible, somewhat removed from the noise and
necessary sounds of the household. Let the
arrangements for ventilation be good; the
windows opening from the top, and the blinds
prepared to increase or diminish the light at
pleasure. If the patient can be kept out of the draught,
have a circulation of fresh air always through
the apartment. If you can enjoy the luxury of
an open fire, this will be quite easy; but it needs
care not to let the temperature go below a
certain point. This, I suppose, may differ
according to the disease and temperament of the
patient; but higher than sixty-five degrees in

196 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
winter seems unwise. Abundance of light
coverings should be provided to throw over the
bed in case of chilliness, and to place about
the shoulders of the patient when sitting up.
Remove all useless articles of furniture, but do
not allow the room to have a stripped look. A
nurse should never sleep with a sick person,
but occupy a small bed near.
If you have been familiar with the disposition
and habits of your patients in health, you will,
of course, be better adapted to understand their
peculiarities in illness, though some persons
seem to entirely change their natures under the
influence of disease. A cheerful sick room,
where all of the needful appliances for medicines
and remedial measures are kept out of sight, is
best for everybody.
A plain wall of a neutral tint, with a few
landscapes and religious pictures upon it, is
most grateful to the eye. Dotted wall paper,
which, in feverish wakefulness, the patient will
nervously feel compelled to count, is a useless
aggravation. A few flowers in a glass will make
a bright spot for the restless eyes; but strong
odors will often distress the over-sensitive

THE CARE OF. THE SICK. 197
nerves, and the bouquet should be daily
removed. The Flower Missions "which are so success
fully supplying the sick with these beautiful
messages of God's love," have done much to
brighten the lives of sufferers in the hospitals,
and crowded houses of the poor. It is
touching to see the eagerness which the patients
evince in claiming their own particular bouquet,
and the lingering tenderness they will display
when it is to be changed for a fresh one. "The
Silent Comforters," Scripture mottoes, and
emblems now so common, become very precious
to sick persons.
A lady I met abroad was once ill in a room
where an illuminated text upon the wall brought
her such a change of feeling, that she devoted
her time, upon recovering, to painting similar
ones in many different languages, and distribut
ing them, personally, in large boarding houses
and hotels. She allowed me to choose the one
I liked best for my room in Switzerland, and
showed me others in Russian, Italian and even
in Chinese, and the dialects of India.

198 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
Scrupulous cleanlinesss is one very import
ant requisite of your care. Let all the glasses
and china be cleaned immediately after using;
if possible, in a separate room, but if not, very
quietly out of the patient's sight. Hot water
should be always at hand, and, in summer, a
spirit lamp with which to prepare light articles
of food.
Obey the directions of the physician implicitly,
and induce the patient, unless very feeble, to
tell him all change of symptoms. Be careful
that your dress does not rustle, and is of suitable
length, and without superfluous trimming.
Wear soft shoes, and move about the room when
necessary with a quick, elastic tread, instead of
the slow, creaking footsteps, which some think
appropriate to illness.
Do not weary the patient by discussions of
any point; for the mind, as well as the body, is
weakened by disease. Keep all preparations
for medicine, or treatment, out of sight till the
last moment before using, and bring suitable
articles of food to the bedside of the invalid at
the proper time without consultation with him
beforehand. Often the mention of food will

THE CARE OF THE SICK. 199
sicken, when the sight of it, in the surprise of
the moment, may induce tasting, and, at last,
eating a suitable quantity.
If the patient craves some particular article
of food that is not positively unwholesome, the
physician will often allow him to have it.
Hypocrates says, "The second best remedy is
better than the best, if the patient likes it best."
But if such fancies are only the whim of an
undisciplined nature, accustomed to no higher
guide than its own likes or dislikes in health »
it is not well to regard them much.
Such characters are best under strong-
government, and illness is often aggravated by
yielding to their perverted tastes. In the
admirable practice of medicine that now prevails,
drugs are used sparingly, and regular food,
constant watchfulness, cleanliness, fresh air,
warmth, sunlight, and rest, have taken
their place. Hypocrates' "three best physi
cians" are now the most fashionable — "Dr. Diet,
Dr. Quiet and Dr. Merryman," and have many
cures to report.
It is very important that those who care for
the sick should regard their own health, and, by

200 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
exercise in the open air, and-occasional change
of scene, retain that cheerfulness which is so
important an element in their success. Train
two or three helpers, who will be as anxious as
yourself, to follow the physician's directions
without discussion. The plan in hospitals is to
write these on a card above the bed, out of
sight of the patient, so that any change of
attendants will not produce disturbance.
In fever, where it is necessary to administer
food, or tonics, many times to prevent the
strength from sinking, it is better to have a
written schedule of the hours. Never consult
the patient about these things, or, indeed, upon
any other subject; but do everything to shield
him from care or painful thoughts about
himself or others. Some short devotional
exercise every day will refresh rather than
weary the mind, and the stated visits of a
clergyman are of great service. "The Order for
the Visitation of the Sick," in the Prayer-Book,
is admirably adapted to its purpose, and the
familiar words rarely lose their power to soothe.
In cases of dangerous illness, if the patient
does not understand the danger, it is well, in

THE CARE OF THE SICK. 201
most cases, to let him know the probability of
fatal termination. To one who, in health, has
brought mind and heart into subjection to the
will of God, this need bring no alarm . Life and
death are alike gifts of heavenly love, to be
received with gratitude and trustful submission.
The "dark valley" has been lighted by the
footsteps of the Holy one, and we can tread
the painful road cheerfully, upborne by His
strength, made perfect in our weakness.
Doubt often causes pain that certainty will
remove; and quietness generally comes to the
Christian when he understands what is the will
of God concerning him. A sick bed is the last
place in which we can prepare for death.
Physical infirmities are so engrossing, and the
mind, even when not clouded by feverish wander
ings, is so excited by the conflict with pain, or
so deadened by suffering, that it refuses to rouse
to the then difficult task.
If you live yourself with death always in
view, and think and speak of it as that good
Angel who loves us best, and will gently lead us
through the lighted pathway to the blessed rest
of Paradise, you can have more influence in

202 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
bringing your patient to the same bright
uplooking for the opening gates, and cheerful
readiness for the call that will bring him where
alone "are true peace, sure repose, constant, firm
and eternal security."

LETTER XXII.
HEALTH.
"As wine savors of the cask where it is kept, so the
soul receives a tincture from the body through which it
works."
/~pHE ever-changing wheel of fashion, public
A- opinion, — or whatever you choose to des
ignate the mighty power that insensibly governs
the majority, — now decrees that it is compatible
with its highest favor to be well, robust, and
active. Formerly pallor was fashionable, a want
of appetite was considered "genteel," and
languid strolling up and down much frequented
streets the only lady-like walking.
The novels of the older day depicted their
heroines as shrieking at a spider, trembling
before a cow, and fainting at the approach of a
thunder storm. Watchful cavaliers must escort
the timid maiden, or protecting duennas guard
her goings in all directions, and any but the

204 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
most perfunctory care of the poor was denied to
the fair captive. High flown compliments, or
silly platitudes, were considered the respectful
topics of conversation, while the mysteries of
life and death were all too high and serious for
discourse between sexes.
These pale, shrinking creatures have had
their day; the stern duty. of the hour sweeps
them away in its progress. Where they linger,
perhaps aged and poor, treat them tenderly as
waifs from the past; And, if you can, some
congenial nook where they may live out their
little life of gentle illusions undisturbed by the
din and conflict of modern days.
Very much of that ultra squeamishness and
fastidious choice of food, words, and actions, was
altogether sham. The delicate lady, who never
ate anything at the regular meals of the family
on account of her "poor appetite." or would
daintily feed upon the wing of a chicken, sweets,
or the dessert, and sip iced drinks only, was
often a stealthy visitor to the pantry, and kept
packages of dainties hidden for secret feasting.
This alone was enough to unstring the nerves.
and would soon make the delicacv of health no

HEALTH. 205
longer imaginary. The night held terrors for
such, and they shrank from the friendly
darkness, sleeping with night lamps in their
chambers, and trembling at the evening wind.
The extreme precision of conversation in
public was so wearying, that the lady's maid often
heard language quite the reverse; and, indeed,
words alone were not considered sufficient to
enlighten their dull perception, and the children
and servants would know, by experience, the
weight of a little white hand.
The reaction from this sentimental timidity,
squeamish delicacy, and languid seclusion, has
come with such power that we begin to see the
dangers of this extreme also. Modern young
ladies, with their dash and daring, climbing
Alpine summits, swimming the torrent, shooting
rapids in canoes propelled by their own strength,
remind one of Tennyson's dream of his "dusky
race:'" "Iron.jointed, supple sinewed,
They shall dive and they shall run."
But if the strength gained in these open air
exploits is used afterwards to do the Master's
work, and true womanly modesty governs the

20 6 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
speech, and restrains the exuberance of animal
spirits, I think we need not fear this contagious
"muscular" Christianity.
Every woman should know enough of
medical science to understand the laws of
health ; and have enough common sense to apply
them to the requirements of her own consti
tution. But, knowing this, it is not well to
think much of them, or fancy that every little
necessary undue exertion will make you ill.
Take substantial food at regular, suitable
intervals, and then forget the process of
digestion; only be careful not to disturb it by
eating anything else. Food is one of the good
gifts sent us by God. and is to be enjoyed, like
all His gifts, in moderation. Cultivate simple
tastes, and the "dinner of herbs" will be as
palatable as a "lordly dish." Exercise in the
open air, and suitable occupation of mind and
body, not pursued to excess, will, unless your
constitution is unusually frail, give you a
healthy appetite for wholesome food.
Moderation in all things is one of the most
essential things in seeking health — in eating,
in drinking, in amusement, in labor, in study,

HEALTH. 207
in exercise, in speech, and in sleep. Do not
spend the beautiful morning hours in unhealthy
slumber, but rise promptly, bathe and prepare
yourself, by devotion, for the duties of the day.
Have these marked out for you, so that,
"Without haste, without rest,"
you may faithfully fulfil your appointed task.
Recollect that God made us, body and soul. "He
knoweth our frame and remembereth that we
are but dust," and unless we obey His laws our
days will be passed in sorrow or sin. Refer all
the actions of your life to His guidance, and be
taught by grace not to live to eat, but to eat to
live. There is no matter so small that we may
not consult our Heavenly Friend, and ask His
wisdom to lighten our darkness.
If you are ill, His blessing may restore you
to health, and you will then understand fully
what a rich blessing He has given you, and how
careful you should be to preserve it. Unless
you have some infirmity that positively forbids
it, regular daily exercise in the open air is
essential to health. Prepare yourself against
the weather by warm wrappings in winter; short
dresses, thick shoes, and water-proof outer

208 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
garments in rain; and you can brave all its
vicissitudes. Be careful never to remain longer
in damp clothing than possible, and in removing
them use friction to prevent the possibility of a
chill. Have some object in your walks, and they
will never become tedious. Visit the poor, the
sick, your Sunday school scholars, and your
friends. It was said of Sir Fowell Buxton that
"he walked through the world like a man
passing through the wards of a hospital, and
stooping down, on all sides, to administer help
where it was needed." In this way new forms
of service will be opened to you; and you will
need all the vigor of mind that firm health
gives you, to follow up the leadings of Provi
dence. "Labour and rest," was the wise advice of a
celebrated physician to his patients, and it is
essential in the preservation of health. Change
of occupation is often rest to the weary. The
mind, fatigued by close application to study,
should, by physical exercise, relax its tension
and recover strength. Perfect trust in the love
of God, and the faithfulness of our Heavenly

HEALTH. 209
Friend as a guide and protector, in all the
chances and changes of this mortal life, will
keep the mind in health and react upon the
body. Every incident of our lives happens by
the permission of this Lord and Governor of
the world, and is part of the discipline that is to
prepare us for another. Do not rebel against
your lot in life, but
"Confide ye aye in Providence, for Providence is kind;
And bear ye all life's changes wi calm and tranquil mind,
Though pressed and hemmed on every side, have faith,
and yell win through,
For ilka blade of grass keeps its ain drop of dew."
Beware of the use of stimulants when you
are weary. They bring an unnatural excitement
for the time that may be pleasant, but the
reaction is more depressing afterwards. Alcohol
is a certain poison, destroying the delicate
tissues of the body, and rendering those who
accustom themselves to its use, liable to all
sudden and violent disorders, which they have
no strength to resist.
Drugs should be used very sparingly, and
never without the advice of a physician. The
practice that obtains in some families of
administering strong medicines for simple
ailments is very injurious, and should be steadily

210 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
resisted. Medical men say that much of the
delicacy of the ladies of the present day is due
to the fact, that they were accustomed to a
practice that sanctioned such things in their
childhood. Do not let any false pride prevent you from
acknowledging that you are weary, and accustom
yourself to stated periods of rest. Try to avoid
all mental excitement in the evening, that you
may enjoy sound and refreshing slumber; and
learn to lay aside all subjects of perplexing
thoughts, as you do your garments, at night.
Commit them, with all else that belongs to you,
to the care of Him whose wisdom cannot err,
and whose kindness cannot fail; and if His
mercy deny you health of body, you can have
the blessing of a quiet, contented, and thankful
spirit.

LETTER XXIII.
TRAVELLING.
"All scenes alike engaging prove
. To souls impressed with sacred love!
Where'er they dwell, they dwell in Thee;
In heaven, in earth, or on the sea."
Madame Guyon.
XN the days of our ancestors, when a coach
-*- and four was necessary for a journey,
travelling was a luxury for the few favored ones
of fortune. But now that "the resonant steam
eagles" fly in all directions about us, and we can
make our forty miles an hour over the iron tracks,
it seems as if all the world were moving upon
them. The prophetic times are upon us, when
"many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall
be increased." There are many advantages in such a state of
things. Narrow views are lost in the wide
prospect that is opened before us. We find

212 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
happy homes, holy men and women, and busy
people, striving to make the world better from
their living in it, everywhere. Each view of
men and nature succeeds so rapidly that we, at
first, do not see the essential likeness under the
seeming diversity. In the morning we can pace
the white sea-strand, and watch the emerald-
tinted waves dash "against a tremorless cliff,
one moment a flinty cave, the next a marble
pillar, the next a fading cloud;" or the snowy
foam-crested billows riding rapidly in to cover
the moss-grown rocks, taste the briny breath,
and be drenched with the salt spray of the
ocean ; and at evening bask on cool uplands,
••  in whose dusk arcades
The very noonday seems of twilight emulous,"
while the keen mountain breezes sweep through
the pines with a wild, unearthly moaning.
But the ear that is tuned aright, to read the
sublime harmony of nature, can hear the same
undertone of solemn meaning in the murmur of
the deep, and the sonorous chords of the forest
melody on the hill tops. All these voices
"May blend about God's altar,
And help to fill the Psalter
That's divine."

TRAVELLING. 213
To travel aright, we must learn thoroughly
the old childhood's lessons of "eyes and no
eyes." Everyone seems to move about from
rjlace to place in these days, but how many
derive little benefit from their movements ! You
hear people speaking of an Alpine tour; and
instead of recalling those noble snow-crowned
mountain tops, with their glittering seas of ice,
and the pink flushes of the after-glow at sunset,
— surely the most beautiful sight this side of
the gates of Paradise, — they complain of a poor
breakfast on the Rigi, and a crowded steamer
on Lake Lucerne. Ruskin's American girl,
driving through one of the most sublime passes
of the Alps, with the carriage curtains drawn
down, and reading a French novel, must be no
unusual sx^ectacle, from the few ideas many
travellers seem to gather on their journeys.
I am sure you do not thus slight the noble
works of the Creator, or shut your eyes to the
beauties of the mountains. You feel that they
"were built for the human race, as at once their
schools and cathedrals, full of treasures of
illuminated manuscript for the scholar, kindly in
simple lessons to the worker, quiet in pale

214

A LIFE OF SERVICE.

cloisters for the thinker, glorious in holiness for
the worshipper;" and, by the grandeur and
beauty of the cloud-land into which they raise
their snowy heads, giving us faint glimpses of
those hills of the Lord where we shall walk
with never weary feet.
We honor the Creator in studying His
handiwork, believing that "the strength of the
hills is His also." The spirit of the Benedicite,
where ice and snow, lightnings and clouds, and
all the green things upon earth are called upon
to join with the spirits and souls of the right
eous, to praise and magnify Him forever, is the
spirit of the Christian rejoicing in the works of
the Lord. Open your heart to all the sweet
influences when you travel, and forget the little
annoyances that will come by the way, in storing
up the fair sights, pleasant sounds and fragrant
breaths, to refresh your memory in other years.
In going through the Mont Cenis pass one
February day, when the sunshine was brilliant,
but the air keen, it was observed that one side
was glittering with icicles, into which the
mountain streams had frozen, and on the other
the little plain was a bed of primroses. The

TRAVELLING. 215
unexpected sight of their delicate loveliness,
amid the wild grandeur of the snowy mountains,
can never be forgotten.
When you travel, leave, if possible, care
behind, so that no
"Cloud within dims the "bright, still, summer air;"
for the "sick heart" refuses to acknowledge the
beauty of Nature.
It is said that travelling brings out all the
hidden traits of character; if so, selfish people
must be largely in the majority. Witness a
wear/ mother coming into a railway car, with
two or three little children clinging to her.
Seemingly, every seat is full; but really, twenty
people have their packages piled up on the
vacant one beside them, and only one or two
will make the slightest effort to remove them,
unless required by the conductor to make room
for the way-worn travellers.
Think of Napoleon's reproof to a fashionable
lady who was disinclined to allow a working-
woman, laden with a large parcel, to pass her; —
"Madame, respect the burden." Stand cheer
fully in such a case, if you are well; if not,
make every effort to procure accommodation for

216 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
your burdened sister. If you are travelling with
a mother who has the sole care of little children,
see if you cannot lighten this charge by taking
by your side one of her little flock, or furnishing
diversion for them when they are tired and
fretful. A crowded railway line passed by a grove,
where, as is so customary in summer, some
religious services were being held. A band of
plain looking men came on the train with hymn
books in their hands, and, as only a few could
find seats, began to pace up and down the car,
singing as they walked. The leader was a pale,
dark-eyed man, with kindly look and gentle
ways; and before an hour was over he had
opportunity to do some little act of thoughtful
service to many of his fellow travellers.
The day was warm, and the atmosphere of
the crowded car close and unpleasant. He
opened the ventilators, shut out the too intru
sive sunbeams, arranged the seats, put the
packages neatly into the racks, comforted some
crying children, and took some of the fretful
little ones, by turns, in his arms and hushed
them to sleep. Such a look of grateful relief

TRAVELLING. 217
came over the face of one tired woman who had
been thus befriended, that I can never forget
its pathos. "We have been travelling twodays,"
she said, "and you are the first person who has
offered to help me." Others, awakened by this
example, brought refreshment to the weary
party; and a spirit of interest was aroused in
the children that comforted the way-worn
mother. "The business of a philosopher," said
Pythagoras, "is to look on;" but the business of
a Christian is to help at all times and places
where a kindly word, or thoughtful act, will
lighten care or comfort sorrow; and this plain
man, with defective grammar and discordant
singing, was following closely in the footsteps of
Him who went about doing good.
If you remain long enough in any place you
visit, inquire into the condition of the poor, and
the measures that are being taken to relieve
them. Find out from the rector of the parish
where visiting would be acceptable, and enter
into the joys and sorrows of their lives as
sympathisingly as if you had always known
them.

218 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
You may thus brighten up for yourself
hours that would otherwise be lonely, and estab
lish ties of grateful affection among strangers.
Attend faithfully upon the services of the
church, and be as prompt in responding to the
calls for charity, as at home. If you accept the
ministrations of the clergy, you are bound to
contribute toward the necessary expenses of
worship. Surely, it must be from thoughtlessness that
this most important duty is so often neglected.
Strangers, in summer resorts, often crowd into
little churches there, and expect to receive
courtesy and hospitality from the regular
congregation; and yet allow Sunday after
Sunday to pass without making any response to
the call of the offertory.
While contributing according to the measure
of ability that God has given you, and denying
yourself, that you may aid in sustaining the
worship of God, be careful not to criticise the
manner of conducting the services. In cities
you can have the sweet music from highly
trained boy-choirs, leading, as is most suitable,
the praises of God's people; but, in the country,

TRAVELLING. 219
the men often stand aloof, and the feebler voices
of the women compose the choir. No matter
how faulty may be their execution, never allow
yourself to smile or to criticise. God looks upon
the heart, and the quivering notes of untrained
worshippers may go up from earnest spirits, as
acceptable worship before His throne.
Be as quiet and reverent in "the upper
room," or the hotel parlor that is used for the
service, as if you were in a stately cathedral; and
never notice any little accident, or mistake,
that may interrupt its order. If no provision is
made regularly for worship on Sunday, see if
you cannot arrange with some of your friends to
read parts of the prayers, and a sermon. Much
may be done in this way by a little effort; and
I have seen at the Springs in summer, where
many gentlemen were invalids, and no clergy
man was present, the whole of Morning
Prayer read by five or six different persons, the
music reverently conducted, and a large congre
gation devout and attentive.
On the Continent, the English have Chapels
at all of th§ principal resorts for travellers, and
you will find comfort and pleasure in making

220 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
use of their services. Do all in your power to
sustain the ministering clergyman, and see if you
cannot devise ways and means for his worthier
support. "They who minister about holy things
live of the sacrifice," and "even so hath the Lord
also ordained, that they who preach the gospel
should live of the gospel." If there is no
church, make every effort in your power to
have one built. All over our land there are
springing up little houses of prayer that were
built by the energy, prayer, and efforts of
faithful women, and it may be your blessed
privilege to add another to their number.

LETTER XXIV.
CARE.
"Upon the glass the creeping fly
Will shut out mightiest worlds on high;
So eare, to thankless mortals given,
Will hide from us our God and heaven."
Rev. Isaac Williams.
N hours of elevated feeling we can look back
over the way through which our God has
led us, and wonder at the blindness that hid the
guiding ray of His love. Care darkened the
path, and we struggled wearily to pierce its
shadows. Now, in the retrospect, we see that it was
mercy which sent the dimness that enveloped
us, to hide evil things which lurked amid its
recesses, or covered a temptation that might
have been too great for our strength. "Earthly
care" can always be made "heavenly discipline,"
if we cease rebelling against its imposition, and
look upon it as a friend instead of an enemy.
When we see the wrecks that are made of so
many idle lives, and the ennui that settles upon

222 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
all who have not some definite aim and object
in existence, we may gladly turn to occupation
as a safeguard, and accept the care that
necessarily accompanies it as a wholesome
restraint. But, alas! we can not always "keep heights
which the soul is competent to gain. Man is of
dust," and we soon descend to the level wheie
care is ready to enslave us, and we groan as
beneath the exactions of a stern master.
Atfader, in the old Norse legend, did not
quench his thirst at Mimir's spring — the
reputed fountain of all wisdom — until he left
his eye in pledge; and, too often, when we have
become wise enough to see aright, the time for
using the vision is almost past.
We struggle against care; it darkens our
days, and threatens to overwhelm us. We carry
it wearily to our pillows, but it allows us only
fitful, broken slumber, haunting us in dreams,
and keeping the night watches in wakefulnes
and unrest. We toil
"For ligh t— for strength to bear
Our portion of the weight of care
That crushes into dumb despair
One-half the human race."

CARE. 223
Why is it that so many fail to learn the
happy secret of casting the heavy weight upon
Him who has promised to relieve us of the load?
"Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you."
Is this a difficult thing to do when we know
that the Heavenly Friend, who thus assures us
of His love, is all powerful, and can take all
oppression from the burden His wisdom sees
we need? Christ commands that ye "take heed
to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be
overcharged with .... cares of this life;" and
they are classed among the symbolic thorns that
spring up and choke the good seed of the Word
so that it can "bring no fruit to perfection."
What can be more full and tender than the
invitation, "Cast thy burden upon the Lord
and He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer
the righteous to be moved;" and the exhortation,
"Be careful for nothing; but in everything,
by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known unto God."
Because they will not accept this gracious
invitation, and forget the exhortation of Infinite
Love and Wisdom, many children of The King
are careful and "troubled about many things,"

224 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
when but one thing, is needful to relieve their
distress: "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust
also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass;" or,
in the words of Solomon: "Commit thy works
unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be
established." In youth we may sing gaily, "Begone, dull
care," without in the least understanding "the
heavy and the weary weight of all this unintel
ligible world." Happy are we if we can carry
the buoyant spirit into later years, only conse
crating its buoyancy by steadfast confidence in
God, and constant faith in the wisdom that
appoints our lot in life.
A quaint old Spanish proverb says: "In
trouble, to be troubled, is to have your trouble
doubled;" and so, if we take undue care upon
us, each duty becomes a burden. Learn to take
but one step at a time, asking for grace and
wisdom to take that step aright, and look forward
hopefully to the future, believing that God is
all-powerful to lighten the seemingly darkened
path. Buffon says, that "genius is patience;"
and we must often be content to do the best
that circumstances allow, and wait quietly and

CARE. 225
peacefully for the result, which will come in
God's own good time and way.
Turn, then, cheerfully to the next duty;
grapple with its difficulties courageously, be
lieving that they are part of the "daily bread"
for which we prayed; and that the struggle is
to strengthen our souls, and help us to feed
upon the true Bread which came down from
heaven. This earth is so richly endowed with the
material elements of happiness; there is so
much that is pleasant to the eye, refreshing to
the taste, and elevating to the imagination;
there are so many true and beautiful relations
and affections to satisfy the heart, that we
should cling too closely to its joys, if God did
not appoint to each human soul its burden of
care or sorrow. He may not see fit to lighten
this load; but He can always give us strength
to endure, wisdom to understand, and grace to
extract the hidden sweetness from the seeming
evil. But, besides the care that God sends us,
there is very much that is self-inflicted, or
made to swell up to a mountain height by

226 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
needless aggravation. By living beyond your
income, by incurring debt, by extravagance in
dress, entertainment, and food; by withholding
the tenth from God, and thus defrauding Him
of His just dues, you lose His blessing who
alone maketh rich and adds no sorrow thereto;
and you bring a load of care and perplexity
upon yourself and others. If you have the
management of your own affairs, never make a
purchase unless you can pay for it; wait until
the money is in hand, and it may prove that
the wish for it was an idle fancy in which you
can not afford to indulge.
Debt is one of the heaviest cares to an hon
orable mind. If, by the mismanagement of
others, you have been so unfortunate as to be
immersed in it, direct all your energies to its
payment, and never feel that yon can allow
yourself any but the simplest necessities of life,
until you are again free. To make a purchase
when you have no means of payment, is really
stealing. It is only those whose sensibilities
are dulled from the habit of wrong doing, who
can call it anything else. In times of great
depression of business, when monied difficul-

CARE. 227
ties come to all, it is very perplexing, often, to
know the right.
Many good people will begin to contract
their expenses at the wrong end; the demands
of the Church and charity are unheeded, while
self-indulgence in dress, food, and luxuries is
kept up as before. Reduce these expenses to
their lowest level before you rob God of His
tithes and offerings. Commit your way, fully,
unto the Lord, and implore His constant guid
ance in all your arrangements; look upon each
success as coming directly from Him and to be
received with grateful thanksgiving.
If you have the management of charitable
institutions, heed the same scriptural maxim,
"Owe no man anything." If God does not give
you the means, and if, when you have used all
right and energetic methods of obtaining them,
the money is still lacking, the burden of care,
which the pressure of debt will bring, is more
than it is right for you to bear. Exercise a
rigid supervision of accounts, that you may not
become responsible without your knowledge.
All over the country the sad spectacle is seen,
of churches struggling beneath heavy liabilities,

A LIFE OF SERVICE.
which should never have been contracted, and
whose energies are paralyzed by the pressure,
It is a blessed privilege to aid in building
material temples for the Lord of Hosts, and to
make beautiful His sanctuary, the place where
His honor dwelleth; but it must be justly and
honorably done. We have no right to offer
anything but our own to the Lord; and a costly
building, erected at the expense of the unpaid
laborer, is not acceptable to the God of truth
and right. It is only a long and weary struggle
that can remove such a debt, and the heavy
incubus of care it brings upon rector and
people. Heaven-sent care is blessed; it will not press
down beyond the given strength to endure; but
that which we needlessly bring upon ourselves
is, indeed, a heavy load, and everywhere you see
way worn faces that tell of its weight. Do not
think too much of your burden, but learn how
to control mental pain as you do physical
suffering; and gild the darkened present by
eagerly looking forward to that
"Sweet and blessed country,
The paradise of joy,
Where tears are ever banished,
And smiles have no alloy."

LETTER XXV
DRESS.
"Pilgrims who travel in the narrow way,
Should go as little cumbered as they may."
JF I understand your question aright, dear
L  , it is not the abstract one of how
much care, thought, time, and money any
Christian woman may devote to dress; but how
much is consistent for you in giving up yourself
to a life of service. "The unmarried woman
careth for the things of the Lord, that she may
be holy, both in body and in spirit;" but she
that "is married, careth for the things of the
world, how she may please her husband."
A due attention to tasteful dress is one of
these things which a wise matron will never
neglect. While "she stretcheth out her hand to
the poor, giveth meat to her household, and a
portion to her maidens," "she maketh herself

230 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
coverings of tapestry, and her clothing is silk
and purple." But to accomplish this, it is
recorded of that good wife, "she riseth also
while it is yet night," and "her candle goeth
not out by night."
If you have plenty of money and can order
fashionable dresses, ready-made from the shops,
you may find time to wear them without
neglecting other duties; but limited incomes
will not admit of this expenditure, and it
requires careful thought to adapt and arrange
unsuitable materials to the ever-changing forms
decreed by the latest style. "Ich dien" (I
serve) is the motto worn beneath the three
feathers of a royal house; and all the incidents
of life must be arranged to carry out that
legend fully.
Your dress must be serviceable, suitable,
inexpensive, and unobtrusive. As you expect
to brave all winds and weathers, you must wear
warm, though light garments, in winter. You
cannot afford the time and strength required to
manage a train in the street, or the risk to
cleanliness and neatness ; so you must disregard
fashion there. A few minutes will often be all

DRESS. 231
the time you can use in which to change your
garments, so that they must be simple in form,
and not encumbered by heavy flounces and
trimmings. "The King's business," now, as in the days
of old, often requireth "haste," and if you wear
elaborate decorations they will constantly be in
your way. Flounces entangle the hasty feet,
catch upon the furniture, add unnecessary
weight to the skirt, and require much time for
their suitable arrangement. A good rule is to
wear the simplest garment you can, without
attracting attention.
I was once deeply interested in an argument
between two pious orthodox Friends. Of equal
intelligence and philanthropy, and giving their
time and wealth freely to advance the welfare of
their fellows, one wore the plain dress in beau
tiful perfection, and the other ordered her dresses
ready made, with some regard to the simplest
fashion of the day. The conversation began by
the latter, saying, as if resuming a former discus
sion: "My dear friend S  , I was driving
rapidly past the mountain hotel, when thy dress
caught my eye, conspicuous among the gaily

232 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
dressed ladies on the piazza; and I thought that
surely no one but thee could have the hardihood
to be so different from everyone else."
Very good humoredly they discussed the
matter. D  said that "a plain dress appeared
as if inviting attention to the wearer, as saying:
'See how good I am; I wear such an ugly
bonnet, and such a short, scant skirt; I never
indulge in any colors but soft grays, dark
browns, or silky drabs. True, it takes a long
time to find them, and their fine texture is
expensive; but everyone knows that I am a
standing protest against the folly of fashion and
extravagance in dress.' .... But, by placing
thyself upon such a pinnacle of superiority,
thou marrest thy influence, or, at least, dost
restrict it to the narrow bounds of our own
society." I was much interested in noticing the two
Friends brought together in a crowded place of
summer resort in the mountains. "Friend S  "
was loved by a few who treasured her words of
wisdom, and rejoiced in the loveliness of charac
ter hidden under her plain exterior; but "Friend
D  " was the chosen guide and counsellor of

DRESS. 233
the whole house. The colle*ge boys confided
their perplexities to her, and many a gaily-
dressed lady told her of the cares that pressed
heavily upon her. To all, her happy spirit,
broad sympathy, and earnest goodness were
most attractive, and the sentiment of the house
hold was expressed by an outspoken youth, who
said: "I never knew before that a Quaker
could be so charming!"
The spirit of one of Warwick's aphorisms is
what we must regard in such a case, and
remember, "that Plato possessed his rich bed
with less pride than Diogenes trampled upon it."
Dress simply, because it requires less time,
thought, and money, and be careful to bestow all
you thus gain upon active service for others.
Fashionable dressing is generally prejudicial to
health. The tightly-fitting garments contract
the delicate organs of the chest, impede the
circulation, and prevent the limbs from enjoying
the graceful action which nature prompts.
Sometimes the despotic monarch, known as
"Style," decrees that we must wear no extra
wrappings when we go out from a heated room
into the piercing cold of winter; and coughs.

234 A LIFE OF SERVICE,
and, perhaps, rapid consumption follow quickly
in the wake, to the obedient devotee to this
cruel tyrant. This is sinful tampering with the
laws of health, and comes within range of the
Sixth Commandment.
The constant change which fashion requires,
consumes time and thought; and, if you consult
health, modesty, comfort, convenience, and
economy, you will avoid much of this trouble.
Be careful not to judge people by their dress,
or, in the language of the quaint Warwick:
"value the worthiness of the wearer by the
worth of his apparel. Adam was most gallantly
apparelled when he was innocently naked."
If, in obedience to the wishes of others, you,
at suitable times, wear rich clothing, be careful
to lay it aside when you are engaged in your
religious duties. Dress plainly in the Sunday
School, and in the House of God; not only lest
'•The Sunday garment, glittering gay,
The Sunday heart will steal away,"
but, that your example may encourage others to
do the same; and that poor persons may not feel
themselves out of place amid the gaily dressed
throng. "My House shall be called a House of

DRESS. 235
Prayer for all people," yet thousands are kept
from their Father's earthly habitation, because
they cannot dress as well as the majority who
worship there.
Cleanliness, neatness, sobriety, and taste can
govern your toilette in poverty as in wealth:
and the money that the elaborate wardrobe
would cost, in the latter case, may be devoted
to the claims of the needy. A generous-hearted
girl whom we knew, whose father gave her a
liberal monthly allowance for dress, was accus
tomed to share it equally with a friend, who was
the daughter of a struggling widow, and both had
neat and comfortable clothing to enjoy together
This was true affection and unselfish considera
tion, and I wish the spirit were more common.
If you are tempted to make an extravagant
purchase, consider if you have given to God not
only His tenth, but have made free-will offerings
for adorning His Sanctuary, and spreading
abroad the joyful tidings of salvation. Is there
no struggling parish you can aid, after you have
considered the claims of your own? Is your
rector placed above the harrowing care that
insufficient means bring to one, whose position

236 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
calls upon him to exercise, constantly, the duty
of hospitality? Learn, then, to deny yourself,
that you may render his burden less onerous;
and you will wear your simple dress in quiet
content, when its simplicity has brought relief
to a friend.
To purchase a handsome costume, when you
cannot pay for it at once, is a risk of principle.
One expensive article will lead to another to
correspond, until, with little difficulty, large
sums of money are expended in apparel.
Thus arrayed are the human butterflies, who
never have a penny to spare for others' needs;
whose jeweled fingers never cast any of their
burdens into the treasury of the Lord. They
are up early in the morning that they may gain
time for the elaborate decorations that encom
pass them; and their own life, and that of those
dependent upon them, is saddened by the care
they bestow upon their outward adornment.
Dress makes much unhappiness in these
days of extravagant living, and depressed
finances. Everywhere the careworn mother is
overworked to satisfy the demands of would-be

DRESS. 237
fashionable children; and peevishness, discon
tent, envy, and jealousy constantly embitter the
life of home. The one-seventh of time that is
God's portion, is too often used to arrange and
discuss the carefully prepared dress, and the
heart is filled with the pomps and vanities of
the jrorld it has solemnly promised to renounce.

LETTER XXVI.
DELICACY.
"Besides what is strictly called Dviy, there are some
things not determined by precise rules, but which are
nevertheless prescribed by delicacy. Here definitions
fail and moral sentiment must enlighten us. What
precepts cannot provide for, will be inspired by that
instinct of a generous heart, which is surer than all
precepts." Degerando.
tNOWING you to be gifted truly with a
generous heart, whose instincts will teach
yon much, I am sure you do not need any
"precepts" on the subject suggested by your
last letter. You tell me of a friend, whose
manners society calls good, whose intellect is
superior, and whose character, in many points,
is congenial; but who is constantly giving and
receiving offense, the cause of which you
cannot understand. I think it will be found in
the want of delicacy, that "flower of justice"
whose sweet perfume lends a rare grace to the
actions, and sheds harmony over discordant
elements.

DELICACY. 239
Perhaps there is no one quality more desir
able in a constant companion, than that quick
perception of what is painful to a friend, and of
the subjects which annoy and irritate ; and which
discerns at once the bounds of reserve which
should never be passed. You will sometimes
see members of the same family strikingly
deficient in this admirable qrmlity; and, in the
presence of strangers, with a singular want of
propriety, they will bring forward many of the
little peculiarities of their relatives, hold them
up to ridicule, laugh at them, and seem to find
a malicious satisfaction in revealing that which
every feeling of refinement would scrupulously
conceal. One would think that family pride
would teach the opposite course, even if delicacy
were unknown.
A husband, whose native coarseness is thinly
veiled by the usages of polite society, will tell
you various little circumstances about his wife,
which his obtuseness considers amusing; and
you are obliged to sit by and calmly hold your
peace, while this torture is being inflicted on a
sensitive nature. The banter may be good
humored, but it contains a hidden sting; and if

240 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
you cannot actively express your disapprobation.
at least, let your silence signify disapproval.
Two very intimate friends, in visiting together,
will wholly consume the time by thus torment
ing each other; and while you would imagine
such conduct would make them bitter foes, they
consider it a test of friendship, and will tell you
gaily, after a protracted skirmish of this kind,
"E  does not, in the least, mind what I say to
her !"
In your intercourse with poor people, study
all the requirements of delicacy as scrupulously
as you do in your own circle of friends. Justice
teaches us regard for the rights of others, and
delicacy gives true insight into hidden thoughts
and feelings which will prevent you from
wounding them. Observe little things as tests
of character, and never fall into the rude habits
which often prevail where you might expect
more refinement. In the intimacy of confiden
tial friendship, many things will come to your
knowledge which you must consider as a sacred
trust, and never, by word or look, betray them.
In caring for the sick in other people's houses,
you are necessarily admitted to an acquaintance

DELICACY. 241
with much that is concealed from the world;
veil your eyes, and your thoughts, even, and
refuse to admit the sights.
Who has not appreciated the rare delicacy
of clergymen and physicians, who see human
nature with its armour off, while going into
families when illness and sorrow have broken
down the ordinary defences? This reserve
deepens the delicacy that produces it; and
though the annals of medicine have been
disgraced by an Abernethy, who prided himself
upon his brutality and coarseness, high-toned
courtesy and unaffected refinement are the
characteristics of the noble profession of
healing. Some of the most perfect gentlemen
I have ever seen, have been physicians; and
their delicacy of perception makes their services
invaluable when illness deepens the sensitive
ness of every nerve, and pain and fever render
mental suffering acute.
"The heart is wise;" and, if we follow its
dictates, we shall learn to make the happiness of
those we love, by patient study of their tastes,
habits, and dispositions. It is easy for a friendly

242 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
eye to see a coming blow, and by patient kind
ness deprive it of its force ; and then, with true
delicacy of feeling, to stand out of sight.
The same tenderness may suggest to others
little offices of affection, that may come with a
better grace from them, and be more acceptable
to the recipient than if you yourself rendered
them. The charity that "vaunteth not itself
....and seeketh not her own," is fruitful in
suggesting ways and means for true delicacy of
feeling to manifest itself.
The world is full of sorrow; everywhere pale
mourners weep over the graves where lie buried
their dearest earthly treasures; or, sadder still,
fond hearts grieve over those who have strayed
from the path of right, and live forgetful of God
and duty. Sickness impairs all faculties of
usefulness, and the energetic nature, which
would find delight in toiling, must be content
to see others move the weight its feeble strength
cannot grapple.
Upon many gifted spirits is laid a strange,
mysterious burden of unrest;
"Sweet bells jangled, and out of tune,"

DELICACY. 243
destroy their harmony with themselves and the
world about them. Let us recognize these weary
ones, and share and sympathise with their sad
ness, if we cannot brighten and remove it.
It is a supreme effort of unselfishness to
delicately provide for tastes you cannot under
stand, to soothe fears that seem to you cowardly;
to answer doubts that are childish, to repeat
information on subjects that do not interest
you, and patiently remove all causes of mur
muring from the path of the discontented and
fretful; to learn where silence is the best, and
kindest answer to reproaches, and where it but
adds fuel to the flame; and, when the "golden"
spell must be broken, how to softly attune the
"silvern" speech to the needs of an exacting
and undisciplined nature.
It is hard ••  to strive
Against one hasty word, one selfish mood
And gentle still to be, and kind, and good,
In the world's rugged warfare; in the jar
Of ill-according spirits, in the mass
Of beings, where our daily duties are,"
but the effort is ennobling, and the earnestness
of the aspiration and prayer for strength, to

244 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
Him from whom alone it can be obtained, is its
own exceeding great reward.
The little amenities, and minor courtesies of
life, are the "slender joys often repeated," that
"fall like sunshine on the heart." From a
disregard of them, has sprung the frequent
truth of the old proverb, that "there is no house
large enough to contain two families;" and a
constant and scrupulous observance of the rules
that delicacy prescribes, has made happy homes
out of seemingly incongruous elements.
A party of ten persons were once travelling
together, whose quiet and thoughtful politeness
to each other attracted our interest. A gentle
invalid was the centre to whom all were bound
by a common tie; she was lifted from the
carriage to the railway ear by a stalwart man,
whose strength seemed to find its tenderest
expression in caring for her; and each member
of the party, in some unobtrusive manner,
efficiently provided for her comfort.
Our destination chanced to be the same;
and we learned afterwards to recognize in that
fragile woman one of the world's strong, heroic
spirits. She came, — a wealthy widow, — into a

DELICACY. 245
family where not one of the inmates was related
by ties of consanguinity; but were a mother,
sister-in-law, and adopted orphans. Her money
she used freely to make every one comfortable ;
she studied their tastes, softened their disposi
tions by her gentleness, and, as her son-in-law
said, "for fourteen years made their home an
earthly paradise; not a discordant word is ever
spoken there."
Now she was slowly dying of mortal disease;
but, courageous to the last, was pleasing her
friends by travelling in the vain hope of relief,
and keeping them all happy and useful about
her. We found here the "Records of a Quiet
Life," like that of the Hares of Hurstmonceaux,
and a Maria Leycester in an humbler station.
Each was a bond of union between men and
women of widely differing natures, diffusing
something of her own sweetness over them all;
and, by her delicate perceptions, reading aright
each varying range of thought, and instinctively
averting all causes of discord.
The one whom her adopted son, and biog
rapher, calls "the central figure of the picture,"

246 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
— Mrs. Augustus Hare — ruled in that most
beautiful type of a true home, an English
rectory. At Alton and Hurstmonceaux, her
high breeding, devout culture, and earnest
thought, brought about her the first minds of
the age; and their intellectual, social, and
religious life, is deeply interesting. Our friend
was the wife of a lumberman on the great lakes,
who owned large tracts of forest land, swept by
the cold, northern breezes there.
Native good sense, and earnest piety, aided
by genuine delicacy of character, taught her
the rare wisdom she displayed in her family,
and made her one of the world's ruling spirits.
"When gentleness with strength we find,
The tender with the sweet combined,
The harmony is sweet and strong."
While delicacy has open eyes for all the good
traits of others, and loves to develop and men
tion them, it treads with veiled lids amid their
defects and failings. It will cover with the
flowers of affection, many an unsightly gap, and
with graceful forbearance, bring, what Milton
calls the "thousand decencies" of life, to fill up
its waste places.

LETTER XXVII.
CONVERSATION.
"It is not wisdom in itself, it is the manner of
imparting it, that affects the soul, and alone deserves
the name of eloquence." Landoe.
"In general it is a proof of high culture to say the
greatest matters in the simplest way. " Emerson.
T is not conversation as a fine art, and a
means of acquiring great influence in
society, to which you ask me to direct your
thoughts; but the speech of the good woman,
who "openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in
whose tongue is the law of kindness."
This can come alone out of "the abundance
of the heart;" but careful thought can guide
its flow aright, and, by understanding the
mighty power of words for good or evil, we
learn to restrain the idle ones, and improve the
opportunities, that come to all, of sending out
the "ambassador of the mind" on errands of
love and mercy.

248 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
There are times when politeness requires
that we should speak; and conversation will
divert sad thoughts, and direct them to Him
who can bring the brightness of heaven to
illuminate and dispel their sadness. We must
speak truly; and to unite truth with kindness
we must drive out prejudice, and cherish only
good feelings toward everyone; so that the
gentle interest we manifest in words, is really
the sincere expression of our hearts.
We must understand that conversation is
not monologue, and the happy art of listening
well is essential to its success. Use the simplest
words that adapt themselves to daily need, and
do not suppose that high sounding phrases show
wisdom or learning. The really wise and
learned rarely use them in ordinary speech;
and you are very apt to give a wrong pronun
ciation, accent, or meaning, when you attempt
sonorous sentences and unfamiliar words in
ordinary conversation.
You wish to understand the disposition and
thoughts of those about you, that you may
know best how to serve them; and, to do this,

CONVERSATION. 249
you must encourage them to trust in your sym
pathy, and express themselves freely in your
presence. A care is often lightened by sharing
it with a friend, and a cloud dissipated by
calmly discussing it. This is a case in which
the wise one will tell you, "love with labour
grew, and patient use brought skill," and it is a
noble thing to make any grace, and gift of
speech you may acquire, the means of soothing,
lightening, and, perhaps, healing, the sorrow of
others. It requires a well-disciplined mind to bring-
out its treasures of old and new, and mould
them into harmonious speech. Chaos is sel
dom interesting, though it may contain in its
bosom the rudiments of much that is good and
great. But careful education, good sense, fine
taste, delicate discrimination, and right feeling,
must preside over agreeable conversation. The
first teaches us what to say. the second when to
say it, and the others how to make the saying
free from offence to others.
You may think this is too serious a view to
take of ordinary conversation, which is often
used to prevent awkwardness, or cover embar-

250 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
rassment when people meet; and that to be
continually thinking whether it is right to
express this feeling, or best to restrain that
emotion, would produce stiffness and unpleasant
reserve. To study our words seems pompous, or con
ceited, and to justify the remark of a shrewd
foreigner, who said of the Americans: "What
ever they say, has a little the air of making a
speech." It is not such conversation that you
need cultivate; but the happy art of speaking
the word "in due season," saying good, kind
and true things in an unaffected way. You are
"to convert all impediments into instruments,
all enemy into power," and make all the
resources of your mind and education tributary
to the purpose.
To speak rightly, you must feel rightly, and
be careful to drive away bitter thoughts lest
they may tinge your speech. Sometimes a
family will allow their conversation to show the
envy, prejudice, and uncharitableness which
reign in their hearts; and if they are people of
intellect and position, their example may be
contagious enough to affect a whole community.

CONVERSATION. 251
In every channel into which the conversation
may drift with them, you are startled by a sneer
of exciting bitterness; and you leave their
company, saddened by the dimness they have
cast over many of your cherished projects.
Striving for effect often produces this.
Some persons define wit as sharp retorts and
bitter comments; and others, without stopping
to analyze their sayings, repeat them as happy
thoughts. There is a sunny fancy that can play
over the speech, and a merry humor that can
extract honey from the jaws of the lion; but it
never sends out steel barbed arrows, or mingles
vinegar and gall with "the Samaritan's oil on
the wounds."
The wise man of the Proverbs says: in
"many words there are divers vanities;" and
if you talk a great deal, your conversation will
often prove this. "The words of the wise are as
goads, and as nails fastened by the master of
assemblies;" wherefore, "let thy words be few."
If you acquire the reputation of being a great
talker in the usual sense of pouring forth a
volume of words, it will restrict your influence;
few will listen, and those who do will feel such

252 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
weariness from the effort, that they can hardly
benefit by your counsels. Good judgment is
seldom more strikingly displayed than in finding
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
and in understanding that "the words of wise
men are heard in quiet."
The great deeds of the world have often been
prompted by these few words of wisdom;
whispered softly, they have had power to stir
the blood and rouse the men of action from the
seeming lethargy that has enveloped them. But
it is "the little, constant sunbeams, not the
lightning; the waters of Siloam that go softly
on the meek mission of refreshment, not the
waters of the river, great and mighty, rushing
down on the torrent's noise and force," that are
"the words that prompt the deed," and which
Schiller urges women to cultivate.
Conversation, not to become wearisome, must
dwell little upon personal details, unless they
are specially requested by a friend. The long
stories that are so tedious in the repetition, are
generally about some insignificant affair of no
particular consequence to anybody; and when
you have heard to weariness of what "he said"

CONVERSATION. 253
and "she said" about it, you wonder that
immortal beings can stoop to fill their minds
with such trifles.
Some carry their fondness for useless
matters far back into the past, and will entertain
you by an account of their grand-parents' taste
and fancies; their "great aunt could never eat
bacon," or "their father's family all wore their
hats upon one side." You may think this
exaggerated, but I have known people, who,
"from morn till dewy eve," will talk of such
tilings, and never, by any chance, give you an
item of valuable information.
The "Conversation classes," that are now so
fashionable, may assist ready speakers to choose
their words with precision and taste, and
encourage the timid to clothe their thoughts in
suitable expressions; but they are apt to degen
erate by the discussion of impractical and
useless subjects, and lead to affectation and
pedantry. The best way to prevent this, is to
let law and order reign here, as elsewhere, and
confine the conversation to the set subject.
"Current Events classes" can be made most
interesting, if they are told without heat and

254 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
partisanship. Let one person be the leader for
the evening with a prepared succession of
topics ; and each member in turn contribute one
unmentioned event in the week's happenings,
after the leader has finished. In one such class
that was successfully carried on for years, each
member took a country for a subject, and under
the guidance of the leader, gave an account of
the events happening therein. After our own
country was finished, England, France, Spain,
Scandinavia, Italy, Russia, the Islands of the
sea and other countries, were called in turn by
their representatives; and the evenings were all
too short for the pleasure they afforded.
Clothing religious feeling in a set form of
words in conversation, and using them without
understanding their deep meaning, produces
that most offensive thing — "cant", — which
disgusts so many persons, and drives them away
from the society of those who use it. Mrs.
Child gives some excellent advice in this con
nection: "Be true to thyself in religious
utterance, or remain forever silent. Speak only
according to thine own genuine inward experi
ence; and look well to it, that thou repeatest no

CONVERSATION. 255
phrase prescribed by creeds, or familiarly used
by sects, unless that phrase conveys some truth
into thine own soul." Excellent women
often do great injury to the cause they love, by
talking much of matters they do not fully
understand; and forms of words will roll glibly
from their tongues, ready to be caught up and
ridiculed by ungodly associates.
The influence of truly good and devout
clergymen has often been seriously impaired, by
the indiscreet conversation of women who were
really their friends; and I think you will find it
a good rule, never to make him whom God has
placed over you in your parish, a theme of
ordinary discussion. Accept his teachings
where they are in harmony with the word of
God and the testimony of the undivided
Church, with meekness, and practice them in
your life; but do not publicly criticise them
and make them a topic of conversation.
Hasten to correct any injurious reports that
may be spread abroad about clergymen; their
position exposes them to such, and a few hasty
words may kindle a great fire. Observe Ember
Days faithfully — the four seasons when we pray

256 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
for the clergy — that the seven-fold gifts of the
Spirit may be imparted to them. This
"Blessed unction from above
Is comfort, light and fire of love,"
and you may look for this to come upon them
in answer to prayer.
Be very careful in your speech in drawing
near, or coming from, the House of God; and
let the reverence you have manifested there
quiet your look and manner, and restrain any
exuberance of natural spirit. Many an affecting
service and solemn sermon have lost their
power over a heart touched by the Comforter,
from the idle comment and the unkind criticism
which some good, but mistaken, woman has
made upon it. This seems a peculiar fashion
in some small places, where, as soon as the
services are over, a babel of tongues will be
unloosed, and everyone seems to think it
necessary to say something about them ; and I
am sorry to record that captious, and even cruel,
criticism is the rule.
A clergyman once overheard a lady
make some bitter allusion to his opinions, in
reply to a friend who said she was deeply

CONVERSATION. 257
impressed by his earnestness, eloquence and
godly life. He turned to her and said,
"Madame, you are a religious woman, but whose
work are you doing now? Is it God's friend
who takes His word from the tender soil, or is
it the devil's?" Think of this when you speak
of holy things; and pray "that in simplicity and
godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by
the grace of God," you may have your "conver
sation in the world."
St. Paul exhorted the believers to "only let
your conversation be as becometh the gospel of
Christ." St. James says, "Let him show out
of a good conversation his works with meekness
of wisdom;" "the wisdom that is from above is
first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be
entreated;" and St. Peter urges, "But as He
which has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all
manner of conversation," that those without
"may be won" by it to the word of truth. The
promise is, "To him that ordereth his conver
sation aright, will I show the salvation of God."

LETTER XXVIII.
GOSSIP.
"Believe not each accusing tongae,
As most weak persons do;
But still believe that story wrong
Which ought not to be true." Sheridan.
"When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody will
believe them." Plato.
JT requires nice powers of perception to define
the delicate boundaries between conversa
tion and gossip, and a happy tact to gracefully
check its flow when it is nearing the dividing
line. When we love a person, all his joys and
sorrows interest us, and the events of his daily
life are to us, matters of deep concern. When
these are open to the eyes of the world, we can
but hear the communication with sympathetic
emotion; but there is a sacredness in all strong-
feeling that prompts us to make little comment

gossip. 259
upon them to indifferent people, and to be
tender and watchful in approaching the subject
with friends,
An old writer gives us three sieves to use in
our speech about others, and warns us not to
allow our tongues to utter anything that will
not pass through them all: "Is it true, is it
kind, is it necessary?" Many items of infor
mation that may be true, it is very unkind and
wholly unnecessary to repeat. It is not always
easy to find out what is the actual amount of
credibility to be given to any statement; the
position and prejudice of the witness is so apt
to color the narrative, and so many circum
stances affect the estimate which is made of it,
that it needs the training of an acute lawyer to
disentangle the truth from the mass of incohe
rent testimony.
Do not, therefore, believe evil of any one,
unless your understanding is fully convinced of
it; and do not allow your likes and dislikes of
a person to influence you unduly. An indi
vidual may be wanting in tact, forgetful of
good manners, and careless and selfish to such
a degree that you shrink from all association

260 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
with him; but he may be innocent of the
grosser offences society will be quick to believe
of him. Love will make you careful only to
yield to strong conviction before believing ill of
a friend; and justice will exercise the same
office in weighing evidence against strangers.
There are so many high and noble things in
nature, in art, in religion, in life, and in books,
for subjects of conversation, there are so many
needful consultations with the wise, practical
and good, as to the best ways of serving others,
that it seems as if only a vacant mind could find
leisure for gossip. But it is not always so;
habit is very strong, and men and women of a
high degree of intellectual development, will
use their powers to adorn their stories with the
braveries of wit, and render its sting more
poisonous and lasting, from being clothed in
striking phrases.
The temptation will come to you even in
your life of service; for, unfortunately, there is
such a thing as religious gossip, and your
intimate knowledge of other people's concerns,
acquired in your ministrations among them,
may render you a sort of authority in such

gossip. 261
matters. Be very sure that it is necessary
before you use this knowledge, and that the
good gained by thus using it, is greater than
the evil resulting from your breaking the fixed
rule of guarding your speech, lest you betray
confidence. You may know that your friend,
or patient, has doubts concerning some of the
articles of the Christian faith, the efficacy of
the Sacraments, or the power of prayer. It is
neither right, nor kind, to mention this indis
criminately; but you may, confidentially, tell
some discreet "minister of God's Word," that
he may be able, in private or public, to answer
this doubt, and establish the Scriptural view of
the Sacraments and prayer.
Some communities are particularly noted for
the amount of gossip that is circulated in them;
and it is often sufficient to disprove a story, to
say that it originated in B  . Villages are
supposed to be peculiarly liable to this failing;
but I think that it is likely to be more harmless
than that of cities. In small places the whole
community live in the eyes of the rest, and a
false report is soon disproved by circumstances.
But in large places intercourse is limited, and

262 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
months sometimes pass without bringing togeth
er members of a large circle, so that the subtle
untruth has time to work its cruel way uncon
tradicted. At country tea parties, or formal dinners,
you seldom hear anything more formidable said
by way of gossip, than, "Mr. D. is paying
attention to Miss A; he walked home from
Church with her last Sunday;" or, "Mr. C, is
going to be married for the third time; how-
shocking!" But in cities more serious charges
often are brought against absent friends, and
stories ruinous to their reputations are circulated
without knowing, or caring, for their truth or
falsehood. And to "round a period or adorn a
tale," clever, witty, but often wicked things, are
said of others.
Be very careful not to give any food for
gossip yourself, by a circumspect, guarded,
demeanor; do not laugh or talk loudly any
where, but particularly on the street, and in
public places; and do not, if possible to avoid it,
stand conversing there. Be quiet and reverent,
in your necessary intercourse with the clergy;
recollect that careless words and acts have often

gossip. 263
marred the life and influence of a priest of
God. An unfounded slander preyed upon the
spirits of a brilliant young Churchman, whose
opening career was full of promise; and led to
early madness, and a suicide's death. An
elderly lady in the place where it occurred,
said: " It all began with that poor Miss H  ;
she is really so silly as to be hardly responsible,
but she would always keep her clergyman
talking to her upon the street corners, and her
senseless laugh there attracted much attention."
If you should be so unfortunate as to be a
subject of gossip, let it teach you wisdom, and
"one heavenward little step — humility."
Bonaventure gives most excellent advice in
such a case that you cannot think of too often.
"Be not angry with those that speak ill of you;
for either what they say of you is true or false;
if it is true, you must not wonder that they dare
say what you dare do; if it is false, their detrac
tion can do you no harm. But if, notwithstand
ing, any motion of anger should arise, repress
it, and suffer all with patience, as one suffers
the fire when applied to a wound; for as the
fire heals the wound, even so the detraction you

264 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
suffer will perhaps cure of some secret pride,
which for sometime you have entertained and
taken pleasure in."
While the busy tongues of mischief-makers
are speaking ill of you, be very patient and
meek, and never return railing for railing. Be
quiet and confident that, in the Lord's own good
time and way, He "shall make thy righteousness
as clear as the light, and thy just dealing as the
noonday." This quietness, meekness, and sure
trust in the Lord, is a death-blow to false
speaking; and when the trial has served the
purpose God has seen necessary to your soul's
health, it is generally withdrawn. But let the
pain it causes teach you to be very careful in
believing and repeating such gossip of others.
Reputation is a fragile thing, and a stone
thrown against it is perilous. Even " the
crushed flower will leave a stain" that subse
quent tears and penitence cannot wipe out.
Be very careful in speaking of religious
things, that you do not adopt a light and
gossiping tone. You will hear the most elevat
ing themes mentioned in such careless speech
that at first you are shocked; and really good

gossip. 265
women will rattle off a list of church services,
retreats, " Quiet days," and " Missions" they
have attended, as gaily as if they were concerts
or balls. Do not, if possible, mention such
things before indifferent people, and do not
speak of popular clergymen in tones of extrava
gant and fulsome eulogy, nor praise their per
sonal qualities, such as their voice, their smiles,
gesture, or appearance. If the Spirit of God
is with them, their ministrations will be blessed;
but, many a worldly man has been disgusted
and kept from partaking of this blessing, by
the excessive praise that has been bestowed
upon the ministering clergy, and the indiscreet
attentions of unwise women.
God has committed the ministry of His Word
and Sacraments to men, liable, without the help
of His grace, to all the failings and limitations of
our race. They must toil for wisdom, and pay
the bitter price experience exacts for its les
sons; they, like others, must
"  learn in Him;
And through patient suffering, teach
The secret of enduring strength
And praise too deep for speech."
Shall not all Christian people sympathize
with the pupils in this high school, and wait for

266 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
the peaceable fruits of righteousness that are
brought us by those commissioned to teach
from above?
In quiet rectories, often unknown and
unnoticed by the world, lives of humble and
self-sacrificing devotion are being led, of which
the world is not worthy. By most rigid econ
omy, only, is the wolf kept from the door, while
the inmates give themselves freely to the Lord;
visiting the sick and afflicted, teaching the
lambs of the flock, keeping the fires of the altar
burning fresh and bright, and, by tender sym
pathy for all suffering, making their light to
shine often amid surrounding worldiness. Pray
for all who are called to any office and adminis
tration in the Church, that they may be replen
ished with the truth of God's doctrine, and
endued with "innocency of life;" but let their
lives and homes be safe from the scourge of
gossiping tongues, and the broad shield of loving
charity be thrown over all they do or say.
Augustus W. Hare, in reply to some
complaint that had been made in relation to
feeble ministration in a church at L  said :
"It is one of the advantages of our good Church

gossip. 267
that we, (meaning by "we" he educated) are
only very partially dependent on the qualifica
tions of the Minister. If he can read, and most
clergymen can do that much, he must read the
liturgy; all his stupidity, if he be stupid, all his
carelessness, if he be careless, cannot unmake
that into anything unscriptural or undevotional.
As to the sermon, Herbert has said enough
about that; you know Who, according to him,
when the preacher is incapable, takes up the
text and preaches patience."

LETTER XXIX.
MISTAKES.
"And yet a child learns to walk by falling down.
All that we learn that is worth learning, we learn by our
own mistakes. We value nothing that is freely given to
us. " Foucth.
"Next to the folly of doing a bad thing, is that of
fearing to undo it. " Friends in CouNcrL.
DO not think that you should give way to
feelings of discouragement, and the incli
nation to pause in your life's work because, as
you say, you "make so many mistakes." This is
a necessary consequence of all human effort, and
our best learning is that which is deeply im
pressed upon our minds in consequence of
these very failures. Only be careful to take
heed to the lesson, ponder the cause of the
error, and avoid it in future.
Some mistakes are from our own want of
judgment, and the result of heedlessness and

MISTAKES. 269
inattention. Ruskin says: "We are not sent
into this world to do anything into which we
cannot put our hearts;" and our work "is to be
done heartily," not "by halves or shifts, but
with a will; and what is not worth this effort is
not to be done at all."
Some make constant mistakes from want of
thoroughness which hearty work gives. They
cannot look into details; and they have a care
less impression that it will all come out right
somehow, whether it is well managed or not.
" To err is human," but such a course is full of
error. Guard against it by praying
" Heaven for firmness thy whole soul to bind
To this thy purpose — to begin, pursue,
With thoughts all fixed, and feelings purely kind,
Strength to complete, and with delight review,
And grace to give the praise where all is ever due."
Unless you have this steady eye and firm
resolve, you tread a path whose uncertainty will
cause many faltering steps, much blind stumb
ling, and, perhaps, many grievous mistakes.
But I am sure you are fully persuaded of the
right; and the failures you lament are in the
execution, not in the intention. You hear it

270 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
said constantly, in excuse for strange inconsis
tencies which stain the name of Christian,
"He is a good man, but oh! so mistaken!"
What is the secret worm which eats out the
heart of good resolves, and prevents the
bursting forth of the full flower of heavenly
grace ?
It is often some obstinate clinging to pride,
prejudice, or uncharitableness; some darling sin
you cherish in your heart of hearts; some
brother offended whom you refuse to humble
yourself to win back; some injury that you will
not forgive — as you hope to be forgiven — fully
and freely for Christ's sake. And the heavens
seem like brass above you; for not a shower of
refreshing will come to weary and wounded
ones, while they close their hearts to the tender
call of the All-Merciful One; and in the dark
ened way, from which their own fault shuts out
the light, they painfully grope, and long for day.
Examine yourself carefully, "lest any root of
bitterness springing up, trouble you;" and see
if you are cherishing unkind feelings against
any fellow creature. Abstract prejudices often
injure the character, and give a wrong bias to

MISTAKES. 271
the mind. Mrs. Augustus Hare writes in her
note-book: "I should like to add a word to one
of the petitions in the Litany, saying, 'Forgive
us our sins, negligences, ignorances and preju
dices.' " How many wrong thoughts of others,
false estimates of things, and self-delusions, are
the result of prejudices formed hastily or from
some bias of feeling; from drawing conclusions
on insufficient knowledge, or too great confi
dence in our own judgment!
If from any of these causes you have made
mistakes, hasten to do all in your power to
rectify them and to avert their consequences.
Do not hesitate to acknowledge them, and freely
and cheerfully to undo, as far as possible.
Confess yourself a learner, an humble scholar
in the lessons of Christ's school, and receive
with meekness and submission your appointed
task. Often the best laid plans fail, the most
matured thought and careful working seem
utterly unsuccessful; and in silent sadness we
grieve over the ruin of our hopes. This is a
trial of faith and patience; but, though a bitter
experience to the young and ardent, we may

272 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
live to bless God for these mistakes, and see
how His wisdom was teaching us to mount, by
them, nearer to the Source of all strength.
If everything moved with perfect smoothness,
and there were no jar or friction to arrest our
attention, we might trust too much to the
machinery; and forget that the steady pulsation,
the rhythmic beat, the measured advance and
recoil are not inseparable from the grand
proportions of even a Corliss engine. A little
wheel will creak, a little rod slacken; and the
oil that lubricates, and the steam that puts in
motion the whole magnificent creation of man's
skill, require attention.
One fruitful source of mistakes is want of
system, and definite preparation for duty. Your
faculties must be trained before you can take
the oversight; and while the many details must
be left to subordinates, you must understand
the degree of their capacities and the amount
of faithfulness that can be expected from them,
before much trust can be placed in them.
Some people have a boundless faculty for
forgetting; and when serious consequences
arise from this fault they think ample atone-

MISTAKES. 273
ment is made by the confession, " I never
thought of it once!" Be careful not to show
irritation, and do everything possible to repair
the omission; but see in the future that the
confirmed forgetters have nothing of moment
entrusted to them, and are placed where no one
will suffer severely from their want of memory.
but themselves.
The wife of a clergyman who had recently
taken charge of a large suburban parish, was
superintending for the first time there, the
preparations for the Christmas trees for the
Sunday and parish schools. As they were large,
it was usual to divide the work among committees,
one of which purchased toys, another books,
another sweets, etc; and it was agreed that all
purchases should be brought in ten days before
the Festival. A bright-looking young lady said:
"I have never been on any such committees, but
as I often go into town I can easily buy what
is required." So it was agreed that she should purchase
all articles of clothing that were to be distrib
uted among the needy children of the schools,
as presents, — caps, hoods, jackets, scarfs, and

274 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
overshoes; and she promised to show her zeal
by buying them the next day. Christmas eve
came and every article was labelled and hung
on the tree, but these, the most important ones.
When they were sent for, the message was
returned that the young lady was still in town,
but expected to come back in time for the
lighting of the tree, and would then bring the
presents with her.
Another messenger, sent on the night of the
Festival while the children were singing their
carols, was informed that the young lady had
returned "too tired to come, and would some
body please look after her class!" More than
half the school, and that the most important
part, were left quite unprovided with gifts; the
children of the rich had their portfolios, work
boxes, and books; but the warm garments
ordered for the needy, were never found until
the next August!
This is not at all uncommon; people who
readily promise, often forget the performance;
mislay valuable articles entrusted to them, and
often cannot be relied upon to do anything in

MISTAKES. 275
time. Conceit, and an undue estimate. of one's
own powers, cause many mistakes.
Never take upon you other people's duties,
and be careful that your chosen field does not
intrench upon that of your neighbour. There
may be times, when, in the good providence of
God, you may be called upon to attempt more
than nature has fitted you to encounter, because
there is no one else who can, or will, do it.
While humbly confessing your inability, and
seeking strength from God to repair your defi
ciencies, do not grieve too despondently if
you fail.
At a Lenten service held in an underground
room, where the light of a rainy day came
dimly through the soiled window panes, an
aged lady, at the request of the rector, attempt
ed to raise the tunes of the hymns, which was
all the music used at the week-day services.
Her feeble, quivering notes were too uncertain
for the congregation to follow; she could not
see the words, and most discordant singing was
the result. A chivalrous young man present
had his sympathies so excited by the agitation
and distress of his old friend, that he said:

276 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
"This shall never happen again. I cannot sing,
but I can pay a choir master to train those who
can conduct the praises of the Sanctuary in
Lent." And that heroic effort, and mortifying
defeat, were the beginning of better things for
the parish of St. B  . They soon gave up
that wretched basement, the remembrance of
whose dimness and dampness recalls a shudder,
and found that the church was the proper place
for Daily Prayer, and the organ a suitable ac
companiment for the week-day praise.
The very earnestness and strength of our
impulses will sometimes lead us into mistakes.
We often " Stand blind on the rocks,
To choose the right paths from the wrong;"
and native impetuosity and unselfishness may
lead us into error. Time will sober this hasty
zeal, and chasten the undisciplined impulse, if
you are careful to recognize and correct its
mistakes. To look for high moral worth and unblem
ished integrity, where there is no Christian
principle upon which to build the fair structure,

MISTAKES. 277
is expecting beautiful flowers and fruit when
no seed is planted. If a child plays with
edged tools, serious injuries may be the conse
quence; and if you form your friendships
among those who do not sympathise with your
highest and purest feelings, you make a
mistake that may darken your life. Thus
you may
"Choose, perhaps, a love-lit health, instead of love and
heaven,
A single rose, for a rose-tree, which beareth seven times
seven;
A rose that droppeth from the hand, that fadeth from the
breast;
Until in grieving for the worst, we learn what is the
best."
God allows us to fall into error, and suffer
the consequences of our own mistakes, that we
may learn to depend more entirely upon Him;
to follow the lamps He has lighted, instead of
the delusive shining of earthly tapers; and to
hear, amid the sound of many voices, the call of
"the Spirit and the Bride," to come and drink
of the "pure river of the water of life, pro
ceeding out of the throne of God and the
Lamb."

LETTER XXX.
THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE.
"Rather is it (the Holy Book) afield, upon thesurface
of which, if sometimes we gather manna easily and
without labor, and given, as it were, freely to our hands,
yet of which also many portions are to be cultivated with
pains and toil, ere they will yield food for the use of
man." Aechbishop Trenoh.
J>0 much has been said and written of the un-
' failing treasures found in God's Word, that
it seems almost presumptuous to attempt to add
anything to these writings of the wise. Yet the
oft quoted comparison of Gregory the Great, in
his Commentary on Job, is full of significance.
The Scripture is "a river, with depths in which
an elephant might swim, and shallows which a
lamb might ford;" and it is a heavenly condes
cension that allows the mighty, moral precepts,
the tender comfortings, the daily guidance, and
hourly directions for our life and duty, to be
plain enough for a child to understand; and the

THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE. 279
path of holiness so pointed out, that "the way
faring men, though fools, shall not err therein."
While the Spirit can reveal the deep things,
the hidden riches of His Word to the simple;
and babes can catch the echoes of mighty truths
hidden "from the wise and prudent," yet
patient, prayerful study, throws light upon
much concealed wisdom, and mysterious sweet
ness rewards the faithful seeker after truth.
"A man of understanding shall attain unto wise
counsels; to understand a proverb and the in
terpretation, the words of the wise and their
dark sayings."
Spinoza brings the charge against the Bible
that it everywhere recognizes the sovereignty of
man over the creation; that it "speaks rather of
a God of men, than a Creator of the universe;"
and the undevout astronomer will tauntingly
ask, why such a little world, amid the untold
myriads that pursue their silent way through
space, should have been selected as the theatre
of the sublime spectacle of the Incarnation of
the Son of God. But David, too, considered the
"heavens, the work of Thy fingers: the moon
and the stars, which thou hast ordained;" and

280 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
in wonder asked, "What is man that Thou art
mindful of him ? . . . . For thou hast made him a
little lower than the angels, and hast crowned
him with glory and honor."
The Mosaic record furnishes us with the
reply, that it pleased God to make us in His
own image; and the council of the Trinity said,
"Let us make man.... after our likeness; and
let bim have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowls of the air, and over the cattle,
and over all the earth." Faith meekly answers
to this, as to all other mysteries of life and
death, "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good
in Thy sight."
Our first motive in studying the Scriptures
is that they may make us wise unto salvation;
that we may find there the guidance we all need
in the chances and changes of this mortal life;
and Ruskin says, that "we use it most reverently
when most habitually; our insolence is
in ever acting without reference to it; our use of
it is in its universal application. We have its
sacred words not often enough on our lips, nor
deeply enough in our memories, nor loyally
enough in our own lives." Ask God to help

THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE. 281
you in your study, to open your eyes that you
may see the wonders of His Word, that the
Holy Spirit may touch your heart, and make it
quick to respond to its heavenly teachings.
If, from constant reading, you find the text
of our ordinary English translation of the
Bible makes not the vivid impression upon your
eye and mind necessary to bring out its mean
ing, try a French or German Bible for your
study. The French version has many little
delicacies of thought, and the latter is particu
larly full of life and vigor from the terse idiom
of the language. Luther, I believe, did not
understand Hebrew, and translated from the
Vulgate, so that you go back to St. Jerome and
the fourth century, even as John de Wycliffe
did, whose translation in the fourteenth cen
tury is the basis of our present English Bible.
"The Bishops' Bible," and that of King James,
are mainly "former translations diligently com
pared and revised."
If the aim of your life was study instead of
service, you might find time for controversial
writing; but as a recent divine says truly,
"Unbelief was the parent of criticism, not the

282 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
criticism of the unbelief;" men impugn the
faith because they do not wish to believe it;
and as Claudius writes, thus "frizzle at the
evening cloud which floats over the surface of
the full moon; but the full moon behind is left
in its still repose."
"If any man will do His will, he shall know
of the doctrine, whether it be of God;" and if
you faithfully practice all you know and study
in the Word of God, it will be a lamp whose
increasing light, will drive away all dark
shadows of doubt and uncertainty. One of the
most careful scholars of the age, whose learning-
is only equalled by his humble piety, writes:
"This has been, for some thirty years, a deep
conviction of my soul, that no book can be
written in defence of the Bible like the Bible
itself. Man's defences are man's word; they
may help to beat off attacks; they may draw
out some portion of its meaning. The Bible is
God's Word, and through it, God, the Holy
Ghost, who spake it, speaks to the soul which
closes not itself against it."
Compare Scripture with Scripture; follow
subjects by the aid of a reference Bible; write

THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE. 283
out each verse and parallel passage fully, that
you may examine them all together; and if you
have access to plenty of good books, read what
the best authors say of the force of the original;
but never forget that "faith is from first to last
the gift of God. Whatever precedes, accom
panies, follows faith, is of Him. . . .Perseverance
to the end in faith is His crowning gift....
Faith rests not on reasoning or proof; although
it uses them, it sees the Unseen, the Invisible.
It sees, because it believes; it believes, because
it loves." Write resume's of Bible history and charac
ters, and accustom yourself to notice those
minute touches, and those graphic words by
which the sacred writers convey so much to
your mind. Do not stifle doubt but track it to
its home,, and kill it by the certainty of fuller
knowledge. Remember always, as Professor Newcombe
says, "that the limits of our knowledge are not
necessarily the limits of possibility, that
patient, prayerful searching of the Scriptures
will be rewarded, if not by the full radiance of
the light of truth shining upon the mind, by

284 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
the sweetness of submission to the divine will,
which worketh in many ways above the compre
hension of mortal vision. But beware of
seeking for doubt, of reading to cavil, of making
the end of search the discovery that nothing
certain is to be found; and, under the name of
progress, drifting back to the condition of
heathen skepticism before Christ came, the
Light and the Truth."
Speak of the Holy Word with the utmost
reverence; never quote it lightly, or point jests,
by expressions from its sacred pages. Be
careful in repeating anecdotes, that they do not
contain allusions that will destroy the force of
certain passages from the Bible, or implant
mirthful associations with what we should
reverence so highly.
Treat your Bible with outward, as well as
inward, honour; do not pile other books upon it,
but remember how the pious young King
Edward VI. rebuked the courtier who brought
him a large Bible to stand upon, by which to
reach the higher shelves of the library: "We
should treasure the Word of God in our hearts,
not trample it under our feet."

THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE. 285
We have noticed before how expressive is
the very silence of the Scriptures; as Boyle
writes: "There is such fulness in that book,
that oftentimes it says much by saying nothing;
and not only its expressions, but its silences, are
teaching; like a dial, in which the shadow as
well as the light informs us." Do not cultivate
a critical spirit, and, unless you have leisure for
deep study, prefer the practical to the contro
verted portions of Holy Writ; believing with the
learned doctors and wise men, who tell us that
though there is much above human reason,
there is nothing contrary to it.
While you patiently and faithfully study the
Scriptures, remember that it is your duty to
show forth this study in your heart and life.
Not by learned words and fluent speech, but by
the gentleness of Christ, the cheerful submission
to the will of God, the humble following of the
meek and lowly Jesus, and the quiet cultivation
of all those gifts and graces of the Spirit that
are so fully described upon the Sacred Page.
While the "Daily Prayers" used in the
synagogue have an essential likeness to our own,
they have more traces of Orientalism left in

286 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
them. Let me quote one of these for the hint
contained in it.
Upon the opening page is the direction:
"On entering the synagogue, bow towards the
Ark, and say: 'In the greatness of Thy benev.
olence will I enter Thy house; in reverence of
Thee I bow toward the temple of Thy Holi
ness .... Blessed art Thou, O Lord, our God!
King of the Universe; Who hast not made me
a woman.' "
[The women say, "Blessed art Thou, O God,
King of the Universe; Who hast made me
according to Thy will."]
In all the limitations in study as in action,
that the feebleness and deficiencies of your
nature will impose upon you, say always in
humility and reverence, "It is the will of God."

LETTER XXXI.
CONTENTMENT.
"Let me not aim beyond my measure,
But in my place be still content,
To do Thy will be all my pleasure
For this let all my life be spent."
"Oontent«dness in all estates is a duty of religion; it is
the great reasonableness of complying with the Divine
Providence which governs the world, and hath so ordered
us in the administration of His great family."
Bishop Jeremy Taylor.
THEN we can once bring our minds and
hearts to the assured belief, that the cir
cumstances of our lives are ordered for us by the
unerring wisdom and tender love of our Heav
enly Father, whose All-seeing Eye grasps, not
only the painfulness of the present, but the
peaceable fruit of righteousness which it will
work out for us, we can say in all humility,
"Thy will be done." We have the words always
on our lips in public and private prayers; but

288 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
do we make the entire surrender they imply, of
all our hopes, plans, wishes and anticipations?"
Many, worn and weary from the noise and
the ceaseless whirl of city life, think that if they
could have a quiet home among the green hills
and swelling valleys of the country, they could
serve their God more acceptably, and attain
that rest their tired hearts crave as the highest
earthly good. Others, living in a rural neigh
bourhood, find its peacefulness oppressive, its
simple daily duty monotonous, and long for
what they think a wider sphere, and more excit
ing round of activity. They cannot understand
the weariness these entail, and forget the weight
of care that accompanies extended fields of
usefulness. But the quiet heart can make a world of its
own, anywhere; and amid the rushing multitude
can see its simple line of ordered service marked
out by the Master's hand; and even in the
fast changing scenes of the city, may realize
the truth of the promise: "Thou wilt keep him
in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee;
because he trusted in Thee."

CONTENTMENT. 289
Stagnation of thought, and indolent shrink
ing from change, are not necessary anywhere;
and the narrowness of view which is considered
part of the disadvantageous condition of country
life, is not found solely there. Contact with
other minds does arouse sleeping powers; and
when we find so many good people adopting
widely different doctrines, who seem equally
in earnest in believing and enforcing them, we
are led to study the deep principles that underlie
them all; to have a wide charity for those who
do not agree with us, and to catch loving
glimpses of the Master's impress, upon hearts
that seemed closed to the force of some of His
commandments .
But if this is denied us, we can learn from
books the many-sidedness of truth; and find in
the holy Fathers, the wise Doctors, and the
learned divines of modern days, the same
breadth of thought and wide charity for "all
sorts and conditions of men," that city life
ought to give. We can have more leisure to
ponder the truths they teach; and reflection and
meditation can make them part of our own
mental treasure.

290 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
Jeremy Taylor says: "God hath appointed
one remedy for all the evils in the world, and
that is a contented spirit; for this alone can
make a man pass through fire and not be
scorched; through seas, and not be drowned;
through hunger and nakedness, and want for
nothing." A large proportion of the ills of this
life are, or can be, swollen by the imagination
to undue proportions; and you can keep the
mind and heart in a perpetual fever of unrest, by
discontentedly longing for that which the
providence of God has placed out of your reach.
There is always something beyond to prevent
peace and contentment, which are not condi
tions of life, so much as states of mind, and
which can be attained independently of outward
circumstances. Wherever the Master has placed you, that is
the post of duty; count over your blessings with
grateful acknowledgment of His mercy; meekly
accept the sorrow He may appoint to mingle
with your daily bread; strive to overcome all
obstacles in the path of your mental and spiritual
advancement, and believe that God, who loveth
best, knoweth best, and appoints the lot of each

CONTENTMENT. 291
of His children according to the dictates of an
All-Seeing Wisdom and Love.
"Shall there be a mutiny among the flocks
and herds, because their lord or their shepherd
chooses their pastures, and suffers them not to
wander into deserts and unknown way?" We
know the present evil, and fancy that there can
be nothing in those far-off scenes as trying to
our faith and patience as this; therefore discon
tent will murmur, and shrink from duty, and,
gazing upon other heights, dream of peace and
joy found among those who dwell there. But,
like the mirage of the desert, it perpetually
vanishes before the aching sight, and "always
there is a black spot in our sunshine;" it is,
even as Carlyle said, — "the shadow of our
selves." Many persons will be contented with the
place in which their lot is cast; but cannot be
reconciled to the people with whom they come
in contact. They are too cold and formal; too
free and social; too critical and captious; too
ignorant, or too learned; or, worse than all, too
bad tempered and quarrelsome. This is certain
ly disagreeable, but many of these traits are not

292 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
as bad as they seem. Coldness and formality
may proceed from timidity and reserve, which
the genial sunshine of a happy heart may thaw;
and nice discrimination may draw the line
which should bound all intercourse with others.
Captious criticism may be a bad habit, which
those who would be wise, fancy makes them so;
ignorance may be enlightened, and peevish
ness may forget to quarrel because of the
unwillingness of the other party. Guard your
own heart very carefully, and when you find how
difficult it is for you always to speak the gentle
word, and give the soft answer which "turneth
away wrath," you will learn charity and com
passion for those who fail.
After people have reached middle life, and
have retained the fretfulness, petulance and
fault-finding disposition which discipline should
have rooted out in childhood, you can rarely
expect much change. The grace of God in
such hearts is a feeble plant in an unkindly
soil; and prayer and the sacraments throw only
passing gleams of light into the dark recesses of
such a nature.

CONTENTMENT. 293
If it is part of your life-long trial to be
brought in close contact with such an evil
blight, pray against it with all the fervor of
which you are capable, because it is sadly conta
gious; and one of such spirit can not only mar
the peace of a household, but infect other
inmates with a like unholy discontent. Learn
to be very quiet; never speak when the foul
creature rears its head; do not think much of it
if possible, or mention it, save in prayer.
In Church Homes and Refuges, in infirma
ries and alms' houses, you will find many of
these perverse and sinful dispositions. Their
own friends were unable longer to endure the
infliction of such an inmate in the family, so
that any pretext was seized upon for putting the
burden upon the public. In your care of the
sick, and duties in charitable institutions, you
will have need of all your Christian graces, that
you may put up with the constant complaints,
the querulous murmurs, the peevish exactions
and dissatisfaction of these unhappy people.
Remember that this is the very reason you
find them there. Pleasant, useful people are
welcome in any home; but the wretched grumb-

294 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
lers, the suspicious, jealous, captious disposi
tions cause too much unhappiness to be desired
inmates anywhere. Be very patient, though firm,
in your treatment of them ; and let them be a
warning to you to guard against the first rising
of discontent. Pray to God, like St. Augustine,
"Give me what Thou commandest, and com
mand what Thou wilt;" and accept evil as the
good which cometh from Him, with a happy
heart and cheerful smile.
This world is a wide one, and there is plenty
of room in it for men and women of varying
tastes and tempers, without clashing. Only learn
to accept this truth, and have charity for other
people's crotchets, and you can smooth out
many causes of unhappiness.
Perhaps the circumstances of your life may-
lead you into such quiet paths, that you may
think you have no need of this strength and
patience. You look from afar upon the din of the
conflict which courageous souls are waging for
the good and true, forgetting that each human
heart is a battlefield for contending forces; and
there is no place so remote but that therein
may be trained soldiers for the holy war.

CONTENTMENT. 295
The waste of towns must be supplied by the
country, and in unfrequented byways God is
teaching His chosen ones fit lessons for future
use. "There is no fountain so small but heaven
may be imagined in its bosom;" and there is no
life so obscure, but it may grow in graces
that will bless the world.
Let contentment be so thoroughly the habit
of your mind, that you carry it with you every
where; and in strange places plan your life as if
you were always to live there. Do not waste
your time in idle dreaming or aimless sightsee
ing, but pursue your fixed ends, observe your
rules of obedience and service, and live each
day knowing that it may be your last on earth.
Rev. Sydney Smith gives an excellent recipe for
contentment: "Take short views, hope for the
best, and trust in God."
Contrast your condition with that of those
beneath you; all your desires may not be
granted, but there are many miseries you have
escaped; others may seem more blest, but you
cannot know the hidden blight that may darken

296 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
the sunshine of their lives. Believe most fully
with the poet, that
"111 that He blesses is our good,
And unblest good is ill;
And all is right that seems most wrong,
If it be His sweet will,"
and you will realize the joys of a contented
mind.

LETTER XXXII.
GRATITUDE.
"The two belong together, service and thanks; not
in the way of bargain, not by deliberate arrangement,
but in the very nature of things  to the life that serves,
the gratitude that recognizes service belongs, as the
warmth belongs to the sunlight, or the echo to the sound,"
Bishop Phillips Brooks.
XN the first vigor of youth the freshness of the
-I dawn is about us; "the common air is balm,"
and we enter each path of service with a joyful
expectation of accomplishing great things. We
may, perhaps, be able to give all of our time,
strength and means to benefit others, and new
ways of serving them will be constantly opening
before us. "To him that hath shall be given;" in
this case it may be in frequent opportunity of
increased and extended usefulness ; and, if time
were not so fleeting, and strength so inadequate
to the task, we fancy we might do much for the
blessing of our race.

298 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
But soon comes the blank, bitter chill of
ingratitude. The people we have tried to benefit,
deceive and wound us. They return evil for
the good we have done them; they repulse or
reject our well meant efforts to serve them, and
persist in the wrong doing from which we
would fain keep them. This is the trial hour
of motives. If God's glory has been our ruling
thought, and true love for the souls He has
made, and whose ransom cost the precious blood
of the Lamb, the actuating principle of our
service, while no self-seeking has marred the
offering, we learn
"Still to abide, 'mid failing hearts high-hearted,"
and are content to work on faithfully and
patiently without thinking of the reward.
There is much then, too, in the habit of
seeking everywhere for occasions to benefit
others. You can deny yourself, and forget
your own personal likes and dislikes until they
cease to assert themselves. And thus, though
the glow of youthful enthusiasm will die away,
and the brilliant tints of the morning
"Fade into the lightof coming day,"
you can, with ripened judgment and maturer

GRATITUDE. 299
thought plan for the good of others, even
though many of those plans, the instinct of ex
perience tells you will come to naught.
"Your young men shall see visions, and your
old men shall dream dreams;" and a certain
Rabbin, writing to Lord Bacon upon the text,
"inferreth that young men are admitted nearer
to God than old, because a vision is a clearer
revelation than a dream." Be careful, then, that
you do not throw the shadow of a chill evening
over "the vision splendid," which glows about
young hearts, working in the strength of excited
hope; and the damp of oft- repeated disappoint
ment on "the gladness of the May."
It will come very surely as the slow-paced
years pass on, and the inevitable depression of
standing, perhaps alone, among ruined schemes
and defeated plans, steals over them. But do
not rob them of one ray of the celestial light, or
hasten its fading by the cold record of the
accumulated experience of other lives.
Gratitude, perhaps, seldom comes from those
whom we most benefit; but, often in unexpected
places, the chance flower springs up, whose
sweet perfume will refresh the weary heart and

300 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
waken "thoughts too deep for tears." A full
table has been spread constantly for daily
recipients; they may scorn the banquet, but its
crumbs will nourish life, or bring strength to
humble souls like that of the Syro-Phenician
woman, who, with rare humility and beauty,
answered our blessed Lord, "Yet the dogs eat
of the crumbs which fall from their master's
table." And His gracious approval rings
through the ages: "O, woman, great is thy
faith." The last notes of Evening Prayer had died
away in the beautiful church of St. M  , and
only a few lights gleamed amid the high arches
wreathed with "the box and pine" for the Feast
of the Nativity. The beauty of the scene
attracted some passing students from a
neighbouring college; and entering, they knelt,
perhaps more from the instinct of habit, than
reverence for the Sanctuary. In the shadow
of the transept a few of the choir boys had
gathered about their Sunday School teacher;
and the soft voice of womanly tenderness was
pleading with them, because that day they had

GRATITUDE. 301
turned away from the Holy Supper of the Lord,
and slighted the Sacred Feast.
"And will ye also go away?" came persua
sively from her lips, reaching the ear of a manly
student who was also
"Forgetting God and duty."
Perhaps the choristers were unmoved by the
appeal, and the heart of a faithful teacher was
wounded by their continued neglect; and she
never knew of him who knelt within the sound
of her voice, and was drawn by it out of the
lurid mists of doubt to his early love and faith ,
consecrating them from that day to the fuller
service of God.
And so it is ever in the mysterious plan of
life. We receive benefits from those whom we
cannot serve; but we can accept them humbly
and gratefully, and immediately return the
kindness by doing something for other people,
without expecting the reward of thanks.
A tired traveller was waiting, during a long
and unexpected interval between an arriving
and departing train, in an over-heated and
crowded station house, when a casual acquaint
ance of other years came up, and said, " You

302 A LIFE OF SERVICE.
look very weary; you must allow me to drive you
through the park to our house for luncheon, as
you cannot leave till night."
When returning, rested and refreshed, some
hours later, the traveller said: "What can I
ever do for you. in return for this great kind
ness?" The answer came, "Perhaps nothing;
but you can pass it on to the next;" and the
grateful remembrance has caused many lunch
eons to be prepared, and spread man}7 couches
for weary people.
This is the meaning of our blessed Lord's
words, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these My brethren, ye have done
it unto Me." Give to the poor with wise
discrimination: think for them, plan for them,
care for them always and everywhere, remem
bering that you do it —
 "for His holy sake
Who died for thee,"
and that "When He was slain for crime of doing good,
Canst thou expect return of gratitude?"
When you cease to be expectant, often the
reward does come, even in this life. To those
who have sowed beside all waters, and patiently

GRATITUDE. 303
and humbly toiled while waiting for the harvest
the warmth "that belongs to the sunlight"
refreshingly falls, and "at even-tide there shall
be light."

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