Life and Literature Part 86

Girls we love for what they are; young men for what they promise to be.

--_Goethe._

1190

Love is loveliest when embalm'd in tears.

1191

Caresses, expressions of one sort or another, are necessary to the life of the affections, as leaves are to the life of a tree. If they are wholly restrained, love will die at the roots.

--_Hawthorne._

1192

MARTIN LUTHER AND HIS FRIENDS.

"My dear Veit," said Luther, "I have said it often and I repeat it again, whoever would know G.o.d aright and speculate concerning Him without danger, must look into the manger, and learn first of all to know the Son of the Virgin Mary, born at Bethlehem, lying in His mother's bosom or hanging upon the cross; then will he understand who G.o.d is. This will not only then be not terrible, but on the contrary most attractive and comforting. Guard yourself, my dear Veit, from the proud thought of climbing into heaven without this ladder, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ in His humanity. As the Word simple describes Him, stick to this, and do not permit reason to divert you from it; then will you apprehend G.o.d aright! I wish to know of no other G.o.d than the G.o.d who hung upon the cross, Jesus Christ, the Son of G.o.d, and of the Virgin Mary."

1193

Luther was remarkable for his contempt of riches, though few men had a greater opportunity of obtaining them. The Elector of Saxony offered him the produce of a mine at Sneberg, but he n.o.bly refused it, lest it should prove an injury to him.

--_Buck._

1194

LUXURY.

_Dr. Johnson_:--"A man gives half a guinea for a dish of green peas. How much gardening does this occasion? How many laborers must the compet.i.tion, to have such things early in the market, keep in employment? You will hear it said very gravely, 'Why was not the half-guinea, thus spent in luxury, given to the poor? To how many might it have afforded a good meal? Alas! has it not gone to the _industrious_ poor, whom it is better to support, than the _idle_ poor? You are much surer that you are doing good when you _pay_ money to those who work, as the recompense of their labor, than when you _give_ money merely in charity."

M

1195

He who is too much afraid of being duped has lost the power of being magnanimous.

--_Amiel._

1196

A MAIDEN'S LAMENT.

Full oft he sware with accents true and tender, "Though years roll by, my love shall ne'er wax old!"

And so to him my heart I did surrender, Clear as a mirror of pure burnished gold;

And from that day, unlike the seawood bending To every wave raised by the autumn gust, Firm stood my heart, on him alone depending, As the bold seaman in his s.h.i.+p doth trust.

Is it some cruel evil one that hath bereft me?

Or hath some mortal stolen away his heart?

No word, no letter since the day he left me; Nor more he cometh, ne'er again to part!

In vain I weep, in helpless, hopeless sorrow, From earliest morn until the close of day; In vain, till radiant dawn brings back the morrow, I sigh the weary, weary nights away.

No need to tell how young I am, and slender-- A little maid that in thy palm could lie: Still for some message comforting and tender I pace the room in sad expectancy.

1197

He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.

--_Shakespeare._

1198

A truly great man never puts away the simplicity of the child.

--_Chinese._

1199

He who does not advance, goes backward; recedes.

--_From the Latin._

1200

A man who is amiable will make almost as many friends as he does acquaintances.

1201

An angry man is often angry with himself when he returns to reason.

--_Publius Syrus._