Graded Memory Selections Part 22

Thanks for the heavenly message brought by thee, Child of the wandering sea.

Cast from her lap, forlorn!

From thy dead lips a clearer note is born Than ever Triton blew from wreathed horn!

While on mine ear it rings, Through the deep caves of thought I hear a voice that sings:--

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, As the swift seasons roll!

Leave thy low-vaulted past!

Let each new temple, n.o.bler than the last, Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast, Till thou at length art free, Leaving thine outgrown sh.e.l.l by life's unresting sea!

--_Oliver Wendell Holmes._

[35] Copyrighted by Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Reprinted by permission of the publishers.

PRESIDENT WILLIAM McKINLEY

TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF OAKLAND, CAL. MAY 24, 1901

"There is nothing better for the United States than EDUCATED CITIZENs.h.i.+P; and, my young friends, there never was a time in all our history when knowledge was so essential to success as now. Everything requires knowledge. What we want of the young people now is exact knowledge. You want to know whatever you undertake to do a little better than anybody else. And if you will do that, then there is nothing that is not within your reach.

And what you want besides education is CHARACTER--CHARACTER! There is nothing that will serve a young man or an old man so well as good character. And did you ever think that it is just as easy to form a good habit as it is to form a bad one; and it is just as hard to break a good habit as it is to break a bad one? So get the good ones and keep them. With EDUCATION and CHARACTER you will not only achieve individual success, but you will contribute largely to the progress of your country."

BRIEF MEMORY GEMS AND PROVERBS.

FIRST AND SECOND GRADES.

If at first you don't succeed, Try, try again.

Be kind and be gentle To those who are old, For dearer is kindness And better than gold.

Sing, pretty birds, and build your nests, The fields are green, the skies are clear; Sing, pretty birds, and build your nests, The world is glad to have you here.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

If a task is once begun, Never leave it till it's done; Be the labor great or small, Do it well or not at all.

Whatever way the wind doth blow, Some heart is glad to have it so, So blow it east, or blow it west, The wind that blows--that wind is best.

Dare to do right! dare to be true!

For you have a work no other can do; Do it so bravely, so kindly, so well, Angels will hasten the story to tell.

To do to others as I would That they should do to me Will make me honest, kind and good, As children ought to be.

G.o.d make my life a little light, Within the world to glow: A little flame that burneth bright Wherever I may go.

Better be an hour too early than a minute too late.

"Help one another," the snowflakes said, As they cuddled down in their fleecy bed, "One of us here would not be felt, One of us here would quickly melt; But I'll help you and you help me, And then what a splendid drift there'll be."

By-and-by is a very bad boy, Shun him at once and forever; For they who travel with By-and-by Soon come to the house of Never.

Politeness is to do and say The kindest things in the kindest way.

And isn't it, my boy or girl, The wisest, bravest plan, Whatever comes, or doesn't come, To do the best you can?

THIRD AND FOURTH GRADES.

Beautiful hands are those that do Work that is earnest, brave and true Moment by moment, the long day through.

Kind hearts are gardens, Kind thoughts are roots, Kind words are blossoms, Kind deeds are fruits; Love is the sweet suns.h.i.+ne That warms into life, For only in darkness Grow hatred and strife.

Be good, dear child, and let who will be clever; Do n.o.ble deeds, not dream them all day long; And so make life, death, and that vast forever One grand, sweet song.

--_Kingsley._

Whene'er a task is set for you Don't idly sit and view it,-- Nor be content to wish it done; Begin at once and do it.

Look up and not down, look forward and not back, look out and not in, and lend a hand.

--_Hale._

This world is not so bad a world As some would like to make it; Though whether good or whether bad, Depends on how we take it.