FOOTNOTES:

Not alone to know, but to act according to thy knowledge, is thy destination,—proclaims the voice of my inmost soul. Not for indolent contemplation and study of thyself, nor for brooding over emotions of piety—no, for action was existence given thee; thy actions, and thy actions alone, determine thy worth.—Fichte.

—Fichte.

Johann Gottlieb Fichte, a renowned German philosopher, was born at Rammenau in Upper Lusatia, May 19, 1762, and died at Berlin, January 27, 1814. Among his works are: “Foundations of the Whole Doctrine of Science,” “Introduction to the Doctrine of Science,” “The Doctrine of Science,” “System of Moral Doctrine,” “Man’s Destiny,” and his celebrated treatise, “Essay Toward a Critique of All Revelation.”

The worth of a state, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it.—John Stuart Mill.

The worth of a state, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it.

—John Stuart Mill.

John Stuart Mill, a famous English philosophical writer, logician, and political economist, was born in London, May 20, 1806, and died at Avignon, France, May 8, 1873. Among the most important of his works are: “Essay on Liberty,” “Logic,” “Political Economy,” “On the Subjection of Women,” “Examination of Sir William Hamilton’s Philosophy,” “Auguste Comte and Positivism,” and “Utilitarianism.” His “Autobiography” appeared in 1873.

It was the calm and silent night!Seven hundred years and fifty-threeHad Rome been growing up to might,And now was queen of land and sea.No sound was heard of clashing wars,Peace brooded o’er the hushed domain;Apollo, Pallas, Jove, and MarsHeld undisturbed their ancient reign,In the solemn midnightCenturies ago.“Christmas Hymn,”—Alfred Domett.

“Christmas Hymn,”—Alfred Domett.

Alfred Domett, a noted British statesman and poet, was born at Camberwell Grove, Surrey, May 20, 1811, anddied in 1887. The best known of his works are: “Ranolf and Amohia, a South Sea Day Dream,” and “Flotsam and Jetsam: Rhymes Old and New.”

Awake, my St. John! leave all meaner thingsTo low ambition and the pride of kings.Let us (since life can little more supplyThan just to look about us, and to die)Expatiate free o’er all this scene of man;A mighty maze! but not without a plan.“Essay on Man,” Epistle i, Line 1,—Alexander Pope.

“Essay on Man,” Epistle i, Line 1,—Alexander Pope.

Alexander Pope, the renowned English poet, was born at London, May 21, 1688, and died at Twickenham on the Thames, May 30, 1744. His most famous works are: “Homer’s Odyssey,” “The Iliad of Homer,” translated, “Epistles from Eloisa to Abelard,” “The Rape of the Lock,” “The Temple of Fame,” “Essay on Criticism,” “The Dunciad,” “Imitations of Horace,” “Essay on Man,” etc.

“It is more than a crime; it is a political fault,”—words which I record, because they have been repeated and attributed to others.“Memoirs,”—Fouché.

“It is more than a crime; it is a political fault,”—words which I record, because they have been repeated and attributed to others.

“Memoirs,”—Fouché.

Joseph Fouché (Duke of Otranto), a celebrated French statesman, was born May 21, 1759, and died in 1820. A few of his famous political pamphlets and reports are: “Réflexions sur le jugement de Louis Cofret,” “Réflexions sur l’éducation publique,” “Rapport et project de loi relatif aux Collèges,” etc.

A sudden thought strikes me,—let us swear an eternal friendship.“The Rovers,”—J. H. Frere.

A sudden thought strikes me,—let us swear an eternal friendship.

“The Rovers,”—J. H. Frere.

John Hookham Frere, a noted English poet, translator, and diplomatist, was born in London, May 21, 1769, and died in Malta, January 7, 1846. He produced: the “Prospectus and Specimen of an Intended National Work... Relating to King Arthur and his Round Table,” known as“The Monks and the Giants”; a literary burlesque, and numerous translations.

A sound so fine, there’s nothing lives’Twixt it and silence.“Virginius,” Act v, Sc. 2 (1784-1862),—James Sheridan Knowles.

A sound so fine, there’s nothing lives’Twixt it and silence.

“Virginius,” Act v, Sc. 2 (1784-1862),—James Sheridan Knowles.

James Sheridan Knowles, a famous Irish actor, lecturer and dramatist, was born at Cork, May 21, 1784, and died at Torquay, England, November 30, 1862. Among his dramas are: “Caius Gracchus,” “William Tell,” “Alfred the Great,” “The Wife: a Tale of Mantua,” “The Rose of Aragon,” and his three masterpieces, “Virginius,” “The Hunchback,” and “The Love Chase.”

Unconsciousness is one of the most important conditions of a good style in speaking or in writing.—Richard Grant White.

Unconsciousness is one of the most important conditions of a good style in speaking or in writing.

—Richard Grant White.

Richard Grant White, an eminent American journalist, critic, and Shakespearean scholar, was born in New York City, May 22, 1822, and died there, April 8, 1885. Among his books are: “National Hymns: A Lyrical and National Study for the Times,” “Memoirs of the Life of William Shakespeare, with an Essay Towards the Expression of His Genius,” “Poetry of the Civil War,” “Words and Their Uses,” “England Without and Within,” etc.

The bow was made in England:Of true wood, of yew-wood,The wood of English bows;So men who are freeLove the old yew-treeAnd the land where the yew-tree grows.“Songs of Action: Song of the Bow,” etc. I,—Sir A. Conan Doyle.

The bow was made in England:Of true wood, of yew-wood,The wood of English bows;So men who are freeLove the old yew-treeAnd the land where the yew-tree grows.

“Songs of Action: Song of the Bow,” etc. I,—Sir A. Conan Doyle.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a renowned Scotch story and romance writer, was born in Edinburgh, May 22, 1859.His works include: “A Study in Scarlet,” “The Sign of the Four,” “The White Company,” “The Great Shadow,” “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” “Adventures of Gerard,” “Return of Sherlock Holmes,” “Sir Nigel,” “Through the Magic Door,” “The Fires of Fate,” “The Crime of the Congo,” “The Lost World,” “The Case of Oscar Slater,” “The Valley of Fear,” “A Visit to Three Fronts,” “His Last Bow,” etc.

I remember, I rememberThe fir-trees dark and high;I used to think their slender-topsWere close against the sky;It was a childish ignorance,But now ’tis little joyTo know I’m farther off from heavenThan when I was a boy.“I remember, I remember,”—Thomas Hood.

“I remember, I remember,”—Thomas Hood.

Thomas Hood, the great English poet, was born in London, May 23, 1799, and died there May 3, 1845. Among his poetical works are: “The Haunted House,” “Whims and Oddities,” “The Plea of the Midsummer Fairies,” and “The Hostler’s Lament,” “The Bridge of Sighs,” and “The Song of the Shirt.”

Chance cannot touch me! Time cannot hush me!Fear, hope, and longing, at strife,Sink as I rise, on, on, upward forever,Gathering strength, gaining breath,—naught can severMe from the Spirit of Life!“Dryad Song,” Stanza 4,—Margaret Fuller.

Chance cannot touch me! Time cannot hush me!Fear, hope, and longing, at strife,Sink as I rise, on, on, upward forever,Gathering strength, gaining breath,—naught can severMe from the Spirit of Life!

“Dryad Song,” Stanza 4,—Margaret Fuller.

Sarah Margaret Fuller, Marchioness d’Ossoli, best known as “Margaret Fuller,” was born at Cambridgeport, Mass., May 23, 1810, and died in 1850. She wrote: “Art, Literature, and Drama,” “At Home and Abroad,” “Life Without and Life Within,” and a collection of essays on “Women in the Nineteenth Century.”

The object of science is knowledge; the objects of art are works. In art, truth is the means to an end; in science, it is the only end. Hence the practical arts are not to be classed among the sciences.—William Whewell.

—William Whewell.

William Whewell, a noted English philosopher and scientist, was born at Lancaster, May 24, 1794, and died at Cambridge, March 6, 1866. Among his works are: “History of the Inductive Sciences,” “Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences,” “Lectures on Political Economy,” “Elements of Morality,” etc.

If ever any poet stood in the white light of the beauty which we call poetry, it was Mrs. Browning. Her thoughts were as fire and her words were as fire.“Lectures on English Literature,” 1889, p. 135.—Maurice Francis Egan.

If ever any poet stood in the white light of the beauty which we call poetry, it was Mrs. Browning. Her thoughts were as fire and her words were as fire.

“Lectures on English Literature,” 1889, p. 135.—Maurice Francis Egan.

Maurice Francis Egan, a distinguished man of letters, was born in Philadelphia, May 24, 1852 and died in 1923. His works include: “That Girl of Mine,” “That Lover of Mine,” “A Garden of Roses,” “Stories of Duty,” “The Life Around Us,” “Lectures on English Literature,” “A Primer of English Literature,” “A Gentleman,” “The Flower of the Flock,” “Preludes” (poetry), “Songs and Sonnets,” “Everybody’s St. Francis.”

Beneath the rule of men entirely great,The pen is mightier than the sword.“Richelieu,” Act ii, Sc. 2,—Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

Beneath the rule of men entirely great,The pen is mightier than the sword.

“Richelieu,” Act ii, Sc. 2,—Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

Edward Bulwer-lytton, Lord Lytton, the renowned English novelist, poet and dramatist, was born in London, May 25, 1803, and died in Torquay, January 18, 1873. Among his famous novels are: “Eugene Aram,” “Pelham,” “Last Days of Pompeii,” “Pilgrims of the Rhine,” “Last of the Barons,” “Ernest Maltravers,” “A Strange Story,” “Rienzi,” “Devereux,” “Falkland,” “Harold,” “The Coming Race,” “The Caxtons,” and three noteddramas, “Money,” “Richelieu,” and “The Lady of Lyons.”

I rarely read any Latin, Greek, German, Italian, sometimes not a French book, in the original, which I can procure in a good version. I like to be beholden to the great metropolitan English speech, the sea which receives tributaries from every region under heaven. I should as soon think of swimming across Charles River when I wish to go to Boston, as of reading all my books in originals when I have them rendered for me in my mother tongue.“Books,”—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“Books,”—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the famous American philosopher, essayist and poet, was born in Boston, May 25, 1803, and died at Concord, Mass., April 27, 1882. He wrote: “The American Scholar,” “Man the Reformer,” “Nature,” “The Young American,” “The Conduct of Life,” “Letters and Social Aims,” “Tribute to Walter Scott,” “Society and Solitude,” “Representative Men,” “Miscellanies,” “Essays,” “Poems,” “May Day and Other Pieces,” etc.

Satire should, like a polished razor keen,Wound with a touch that’s scarcely felt or seen.“To the Imitator of the First Satire of Horace,” Book ii,—Mary Wortley Montagu.

Satire should, like a polished razor keen,Wound with a touch that’s scarcely felt or seen.

“To the Imitator of the First Satire of Horace,” Book ii,—Mary Wortley Montagu.

Mary Wortley, Lady Montagu, a celebrated English letter-writer, was born at Thoresby, Notts, May 26, 1689, and died in England, August 21, 1762. Her “Letters” won for her great literary fame.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me; As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.“Battle Hymn of the Republic,”—Julia Ward Howe.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me; As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.

“Battle Hymn of the Republic,”—Julia Ward Howe.

Julia Ward Howe, a famous American poet, essayist, lecturer, biographer, and writer of travels, was born in New York, May 27, 1819, and died in 1910. Among herworks are: “Life of Margaret Fuller,” “Trip to Cuba,” “Sex and Education,” “The World’s Own,” “Later Lyrics,” “From the Oak to the Olive,” and her celebrated “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

A cause is like champagne and high heels,—one must be prepared to suffer for it.“The Title,”—Arnold Bennett.

A cause is like champagne and high heels,—one must be prepared to suffer for it.

“The Title,”—Arnold Bennett.

Enoch Arnold Bennett, a famous English author and journalist, was born at North Staffordshire, May 27, 1867. Among his many works are: “The Truth About an Author,” “A Great Man,” “The Old Wives’ Tale,” “The Regent,” “The Price of Love,” “Over There,” “War Scenes on the Western Front,” “Books and Persons,” “The Pretty Lady,” “The Roll Call,” “Things That Have Interested Me.” Among his plays are: “Milestones” (with Edward Knoblauch), “The Great Adventure,” “The Title,” “Judith,” “Sacred and Profane Love.”

Whate’er there be of SorrowI’ll put off till To-morrowAnd when To-morrow comes, why then’Twill be To-day and Joy again.“The Word,”—John K. Bangs.

Whate’er there be of SorrowI’ll put off till To-morrowAnd when To-morrow comes, why then’Twill be To-day and Joy again.

“The Word,”—John K. Bangs.

John Kendrick Bangs, a noted American humorist and novelist, was born May 27, 1862, and died January 21, 1922. Among his publications are “Coffee and Repartee,” “Mr. Bonaparte of Corsica,” “Water Ghost and Other Stories,” “A Houseboat on the Styx,” “A Rebellious Heroine,” “The Pursuit of the Houseboat,” “Olympian Nights,” “Over the Plum Pudding,” “Mollie and the Unwise Man,” “The Inventions of the Idiot,” “Songs of Cheer,” “Little Book of Christmas,” “Line o’ Cheer for Each Day of the Year,” “The Foothills of Parnassas,” “From Pillar to Post,” “Half-Hours with the Idiot.”

The harp that once through Tara’s hallsThe soul of music shed,Now hangs as mute on Tara’s wallsAs if that soul were fled.So sleeps the pride of former days,So glory’s thrill is o’er;And hearts that once beat high for praiseNow feel that pulse no more.“The Harp that Once Through Tara’s Halls,”—Thomas Moore.

“The Harp that Once Through Tara’s Halls,”—Thomas Moore.

Thomas Moore, one of the greatest of Irish poets, was born at Dublin, May 28, 1779, and died near Devizes, February 25, 1852. His most famous works were: “Irish Melodies,” “Loves of the Angels,” “Odes and Epistles,” “The Twopenny Post Bag,” “History of Ireland,” “The Epicurean,” and “Lalla Rookh,” his most famous work.

Asa Gray and Dr. Tarrey are known wherever the study of botany is pursued. Gray, with his indefatigable zeal, will gain upon his competitors.“Life and Correspondence,” ed. Agassiz, Vol. ii, p. 437, Letter to Milne Edwards,—L. Agassiz.

Asa Gray and Dr. Tarrey are known wherever the study of botany is pursued. Gray, with his indefatigable zeal, will gain upon his competitors.

“Life and Correspondence,” ed. Agassiz, Vol. ii, p. 437, Letter to Milne Edwards,—L. Agassiz.

Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz, a renowned Swiss naturalist, was born at Motier, Switzerland, May 28, 1807, and died at Cambridge, Mass., December 14, 1873. He published: “Studies of Glaciers,” “Principles of Zoölogy,” “The Structure of Animal Life,” “Scientific Results of a Journey in Brazil,” etc.

Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!“Speech in the Virginia Convention,” March, 1775,—Patrick Henry.

“Speech in the Virginia Convention,” March, 1775,—Patrick Henry.

Patrick Henry, an illustrious American orator, was born at Studley, Va., May 29, 1736, and died at Red Hill, Va., June 6, 1799. His numerous speeches may be found in a (3 vols.) book, entitled “Life,” by William Wirt Henry.

“Vanitas Vanitatum” has rung in the earsOf gentle and simple for thousands of years;The wail still is heard, yet its notes never scareEither simple or gentle from Vanity Fair.“Vanity Fair,”—Frederick Locker-Lampson.

“Vanitas Vanitatum” has rung in the earsOf gentle and simple for thousands of years;The wail still is heard, yet its notes never scareEither simple or gentle from Vanity Fair.

“Vanity Fair,”—Frederick Locker-Lampson.

Frederick Locker-Lampson, a noted English poet, was born at Greenwich, May 29, 1821, and died in 1895. His fame rests principally upon his “Society Verses.”

In this dim world of clouding cares,We rarely know, till wildered eyesSee white wings lessening up the skiesThe angels with us unawares.“Babe Cristabel,”—Thomas Gerald Massey.

In this dim world of clouding cares,We rarely know, till wildered eyesSee white wings lessening up the skiesThe angels with us unawares.

“Babe Cristabel,”—Thomas Gerald Massey.

(Thomas) Gerald Massey, a celebrated English poet, was born near Tring, Hertfordshire, May 29, 1828, and died October 29, 1907. He published “Voices of Freedom and Lyrics of Love,” “The Ballad of Babe Cristabel,” “War Waits,” and “A Tale of Eternity.” He collected the best of these volumes into a two-volume edition of poems called “My Lyrical Life.” He also wrote: “The Book of the Beginnings,” “The Natural Genesis,” and his most important work, “Ancient Egypt: The Light of the World.”

“Truths turn into dogmas the moment they are disputed.”“Heretics,”—G. K. Chesterton.

“Truths turn into dogmas the moment they are disputed.”

“Heretics,”—G. K. Chesterton.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton, a famous English author was born in London, May 29, 1874. He has published: “Robert Browning,” “Charles Dickens,” “George Bernard Shaw,” “What’s Wrong with the World?” “The Victorian Age in Literature,” “The Wisdom of Father Brown,” “Poems,” “A Shilling for My Thoughts,” “A Short History of England,” “Irish Impressions,” “The Superstition of Divorce,” etc.

So long as faith with freedom reignsAnd loyal hope survives,And gracious charity remainsTo leaven lowly lives;While there is one untrodden tractFor intellect or will,And men are free to think and act,Life is worth living still.“Is Life Worth Living?”—Alfred Austin.

“Is Life Worth Living?”—Alfred Austin.

Alfred Austin, a noted English poet, critic and journalist, was born at Headingly, near Leeds, May 30, 1835, and died in 1913. He was appointed poet laureate of England in 1896. Among his writings are: “The Golden Age: A Satire,” “The Tower of Babel,” “The Human Tragedy,” “Veronica’s Garden,” etc.

Die Liebe wintert nichtNein, nein! Ist und bleibt Frühlings-Schein.[4]“Herbstlied,”—Ludwig Tieck.

Die Liebe wintert nichtNein, nein! Ist und bleibt Frühlings-Schein.[4]

“Herbstlied,”—Ludwig Tieck.

Johann Ludwig Tieck, a celebrated German poet and miscellaneous writer, was born in Berlin, May 31, 1773, and died there, April 28, 1853. Among his works may be mentioned: “William Lovell,” “Ostrich Plumes,” “Abdallah,” “Peter Lebrecht: A Story Without Adventures,” “Prince Zerbino,” “Romantic Fancies,” “Life and Death of St. Genevieve,” “Love Songs of the Suabian Past,” “Old English Dramatists,” “The Tourists,” “The Old Man of the Mountain,” “Society in the Country,” “Dramatic Pages,” “The Betrothal,” “Musical Joys and Sorrows,” etc.

To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,Every cubic inch of space is a miracle.“Miracles,”—Walt Whitman.

To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,Every cubic inch of space is a miracle.

“Miracles,”—Walt Whitman.

Walt Whitman, a renowned American poet, was born at West Hills, L. I., May 31, 1819, and died at Camden,N. J., March 26, 1892. He wrote: “Leaves of Grass,” “As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free, and Other Poems,” “Two Rivulets” “November Boughs,” “Memoranda During the War,” “Drum Taps,” “Passage to India,” etc.

A brave endeavorTo do thy duty, whate’er its worth,Is better than life with love forever,And love is the sweetest thing on earth.“Sir Hugo’s Choice,”—James Jeffrey Roche.

A brave endeavorTo do thy duty, whate’er its worth,Is better than life with love forever,And love is the sweetest thing on earth.

“Sir Hugo’s Choice,”—James Jeffrey Roche.

James Jeffrey Roche, a noted American author, was born in Queen’s County, Ireland, May 31, 1847, and died in 1908. He has written: “Songs and Satires,” “Ballads of Blue Water,” “Life of John Boyle O’Reilly,” “His Majesty the King; A Romance of the Harem,” etc.

[1]There should be many judges, for few will always do the will of few.

[2]Much knows he who knows naught, if he can hold his tongue.

[3]The great are only great because we are on our knees. Let us rise up.

[4]Love knows no winter; no, no! It is, and remains the sign of spring.

JUNE

Abide with me! fast falls the even-tide!The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!“Abide With Me!”—Henry Francis Lyte.

Abide with me! fast falls the even-tide!The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!

“Abide With Me!”—Henry Francis Lyte.

Henry Francis Lyte, a distinguished British clergyman and poet, was born at Kelso, Scotland, June 1, 1793, and died at Nice, France, November 20, 1847. He has written: “The Spirit of the Psalms,” and some well-known hymns, among them, “Abide with Me,” “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken,” “Praise, My Soul,” “The King of Heaven,” etc.

While we would have our young sisters imitate, as they cannot fail to love, the conduct of Ruth, will not their elders do well to ponder on, and imitate the tenderness of Naomi? Would we have our daughters Ruths, we must be Naomis.—Grace Aguilar.

—Grace Aguilar.

Grace Aguilar, a celebrated English novelist, was born at Hackney, June 2, 1816, and died at Frankfort-on-the-Main, September 16, 1847. She wrote: “The Spirit of Judaism,” “Women of Israel,” “Home Influence,” “The Days of Bruce,” “The Vale of Cedars,” etc.

’Tis wise to learn; ’tis God-like to create.“The Library,”—John G. Saxe.

’Tis wise to learn; ’tis God-like to create.

“The Library,”—John G. Saxe.

John G. Saxe, a noted American humorous poet, was born in Highgate, Vt., June 2, 1816, and died in Albany, N. Y., March 31, 1887. His most popular poems include: “Rhyme of the Rail,” and “The Proud Miss McBride.”

When false things are brought low,And swift things have grown slow,Feigning like froth shall go,Faith be for aye.“Between Us Now,”—Thomas Hardy.

When false things are brought low,And swift things have grown slow,Feigning like froth shall go,Faith be for aye.

“Between Us Now,”—Thomas Hardy.

Thomas Hardy, the renowned English novelist, was born in Dorsetshire, June 2, 1840. Among his noted works are: “Desperate Remedies,” “Under the Greenwood Tree,” “A Pair of Blue Eyes,” “Far from the Madding Crowd” (Cornhill), “The Hand of Ethelberta,” “The Return of the Native,” “The Trumpet Major,” “A Laodicean,” “Two on a Tower,” “The Mayor of Casterbridge,” “The Woodlanders,” “Tess of the D’Urbervilles,” “Jude the Obscure,” “The Well Beloved,” “Wessex Tales,” “A Group of Noble Dames,” “Life’s Little Ironies,” “A Changed Man, The Waiting Supper and Other Tales,” “Wessex Poems,” “Poems of the Past and the Present,” “The Dynasts” Pt. 1, 2, 3 (1903, 1906, 1908), “Time’s Laughing Stocks,” “Satires of Circumstance,” “Moments of Vision and Miscellaneous Verses,” “Complete Poetical Works.”

Let every man be occupied, and occupied in the highest employment of which his nature is capable, and die with the consciousness that he has done his best.“Memoirs,” Vol. i, p. 130,—Sydney Smith.

Let every man be occupied, and occupied in the highest employment of which his nature is capable, and die with the consciousness that he has done his best.

“Memoirs,” Vol. i, p. 130,—Sydney Smith.

Sydney Smith, the famous English wit, essayist and clergyman, was born at Woodford, Essex, June 3, 1771, and died in London, February 22, 1845. Among his publications are: “Three Letters to Archdeacon Singleton on the Ecclesiastical Commission,” “Letters,” “Papers,” “Peter Plymley’s Letters,” etc.

Courage, Brother! do not stumble,Though thy path be dark as night;There’s a star to guide the humble,Trust in God and do the Right.“Trust in God,”—Norman Macleod.

Courage, Brother! do not stumble,Though thy path be dark as night;There’s a star to guide the humble,Trust in God and do the Right.

“Trust in God,”—Norman Macleod.

Norman Macleod, a distinguished Scottish divine and miscellaneous writer, was born at Campbeltown, June 3,1812, and died at Glasgow, June 16, 1872. Among his writings are: “Peeps at the Far East,” “Wee Davie,” “The Earnest Student,” “Character Sketches,” “Parish Papers,” and “The Starling.”

Qui fuit peut revenir aussi;Qui meurt, il n’en est pas ainsi.[1]—Scarron.

Qui fuit peut revenir aussi;Qui meurt, il n’en est pas ainsi.[1]

—Scarron.

Paul Scarron, a noted French poet, novelist, and dramatist, was born at Paris, June 4, 1610, and died there October 14, 1660. His works include: “The Ridiculous Heir,” “Jodelet,” “Don Japhet of Armenia,” “The Scholar of Salamanca,” and his best known work the “Comic Romance.” His travesty of the Æneid (1648-53) was considered a masterpiece of its kind.

To found a great empire for the sole purpose of raising up a people of customers may at first sight appear a project fit only for a nation of shopkeepers.“Wealth of Nations,” Vol. ii, Book iv, Chap. vii, part 3 (1775),—Adam Smith.

To found a great empire for the sole purpose of raising up a people of customers may at first sight appear a project fit only for a nation of shopkeepers.

“Wealth of Nations,” Vol. ii, Book iv, Chap. vii, part 3 (1775),—Adam Smith.

Adam Smith, a celebrated Scotch political economist, was born at Kirkcaldy, June 5, 1723, and died at Edinburgh, July 17, 1790. Among his works may be mentioned: “Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations,” “Theory of Moral Sentiments,” and “Origin of Languages.”

Les hommes valeureux le sont au premier coup.[2]“Le Cid,” II, 3,—Corneille.

Les hommes valeureux le sont au premier coup.[2]

“Le Cid,” II, 3,—Corneille.

Pierre Corneille, the illustrious French dramatist, was born at Rouen, June 6, 1606, and died in Paris, September 30, 1684. He wrote: “The Gallery of the Palace,” “TheLady’s Maid,” “Mélite,” “The Widow,” “The Palais Royal,” “Medea,” “The Dramatic Illusion,” “Pompey,” “The Liar,” “The Sequel to the Liar,” “Cinna,” “Horace,” “Théodore,” “Polyeucte,” “Don Sancho,” “The Golden Fleece,” “The Cid,” etc., etc.

There is no such thing as abstract liberty; it is not even thinkable. If you ask me, “Do you favor liberty?” I reply, “Liberty for whom to do what?”“The Shadow on the Dial,”—Ambrose Bierce.

There is no such thing as abstract liberty; it is not even thinkable. If you ask me, “Do you favor liberty?” I reply, “Liberty for whom to do what?”

“The Shadow on the Dial,”—Ambrose Bierce.

Ambrose Bierce, a noted American author and journalist, was born in Ohio, June 6, 1842, disappeared in 1913. His best known works are: “In the Midst of Life,” “Shapes of Clay,” and “Can Such Things Be?” His “Collected Works,” in 12 volumes, were published 1909-1912.

Beddoes was, so to say, saturated with the spirit of the Elizabethan Dramatists, and cast his poetry for the most part into Elizabethan forms.A Poetry Book, Second Series, “The Modern Poets,” p. 322,note,—Amelia B. Edwards.

Beddoes was, so to say, saturated with the spirit of the Elizabethan Dramatists, and cast his poetry for the most part into Elizabethan forms.

A Poetry Book, Second Series, “The Modern Poets,” p. 322,note,—Amelia B. Edwards.

Amelia Blandford Edwards, a celebrated English novelist and Egyptologist, was born in London, June 7, 1831, and died April 15, 1892. She has published: “My Brother’s Wife,” “Hand and Glove,” “In the Days of My Youth,” “A Thousand Miles up the Nile,” etc.

I studied the great art of fiction closely for fifteen years before I presumed to write a word of it.—Charles Reade.

I studied the great art of fiction closely for fifteen years before I presumed to write a word of it.

—Charles Reade.

Charles Reade, a renowned English novelist, was born at Ipsden, June 8, 1814, and died April 11, 1884. Among his numerous productions are: “Peg Woffington,” “It’s Never Too Late to Mend,” “The Course of True LoveNever Did Run Smooth,” “The Double Marriage; or White Lies,” “Hard Cash,” “The Cloister and the Hearth,” “Foul Play,” “Put Yourself in His Place,” “A Terrible Temptation,” “A Simpleton,” “A Woman Hater,” etc. His plays include: “Gold,” “Masks and Faces,” “The Courier of Lyons,” “Two Loves and a Life,” “The King’s Rivals,” etc.

’Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home;A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there,Which sought through the world is ne’er met with elsewhere.An exile from home splendour dazzles in vain,Oh, give me my lowly thatched cottage again;The birds singing gayly, that came at my call,Give me them, and that peace of mind dearer than all.“Home Sweet Home,” from the opera “Clari, the Maid of Milan,”—J. Howard Payne.

“Home Sweet Home,” from the opera “Clari, the Maid of Milan,”—J. Howard Payne.

John Howard Payne, an American dramatist and author, was born in New York City, June 9, 1792, and died in Tunis, Africa, April 10, 1852. His fame rests upon the celebrated lyric “Home, Sweet Home,” introduced in his drama, the “Maid of Milan.” His other plays are “Brutus,” “Virginius,” and “Charles II.”

While black with storms the ruffled ocean rolls, and from the fisher’s art defends her finny shoals.—Sir Richard Blackmore.

While black with storms the ruffled ocean rolls, and from the fisher’s art defends her finny shoals.

—Sir Richard Blackmore.

Sir Richard Doddridge Blackmore, a renowned English novelist, was born in Longworth, Berkshire, June 9, 1825, and died January 22, 1900. Some of his well-known novels are: “The Maid of Sker,” “Cripps the Carrier,” “Clara Vaughan,” “Sir Thomas Upmore,” “Alice Lorraine,” “Christowell,” “Spring-haven,” “Erema,” “Mary Anerley,” and his most celebrated novel, “Lorna Doone.”

By the flow of the inland river,Whence the fleets of the iron have fled,Where the blades of the grave-grass quiver,Asleep are the ranks of the dead;—Under the sod and the dew,Waiting the Judgment Day:Under the one, the Blue;Under the other, the Gray.“The Blue and the Gray,”—Francis Miles Finch.

“The Blue and the Gray,”—Francis Miles Finch.

Francis Miles Finch, a noted American poet and judge, was born in Ithaca, N. Y., June 9, 1827, and died in 1907. He is the author of the well-known lyrics, “Nathan Hale,” and “The Blue and the Gray.”

Some very dull and sad people have genius though the world may not count it as such; a genius for love, or for patience, or for prayer, maybe. We know the divine spark is here and there in the world; who shall say under what manifestations, or humble disguise!—Anne Isabelle Thackeray.

—Anne Isabelle Thackeray.

Lady Anne Isabelle (Thackeray) Ritchie, a distinguished English miscellaneous writer, was born in London, June 9, 1838, and died in 1919. She has written: “Old Kensington,” “Toilers and Spinsters,” “Miss Angel,” “Bluebeard’s Keys,” “Mme. de Sévigné,” “Lord Tennyson and his Friends,” “Records of Tennyson, Ruskin, and Browning,” etc.

Also, I think that good must come of good,And ill of evil—surely—unto all—In every place and time—seeing sweet fruitGrowth from wholesome roots, and bitter thingsFrom poison stocks; yea, seeing, too, how spiteBreeds hate, and kindness, friends, and patience, peace.—Edwin Arnold.

—Edwin Arnold.

Sir Edwin Arnold, the famous English poet and journalist, was born in Rochester, June 10, 1832, and died in 1904. His greatest works are: “Indian Idylls,” “Pearls of the Faith,” “The Light of the World,” “Japonica,” “The Tenth Muse and Other Poems,” “Sa’di in the Garden,” and his most famous work: “The Light of Asia, a Poetic Presentation of the Life and Teaching of Gautama.”

Shall I, wasting in despair,Die because a woman’s fair?Or make pale my cheeks with care,’Cause another’s rosy are?Be she fairer than the day,Or the flowery meads in May,If she be not so to me,What care I how fair she be?“The Shepherd’s Resolution,”—George Wither.

“The Shepherd’s Resolution,”—George Wither.

George Wither, a celebrated English poet and soldier, was born at Brentworth, June 11, 1588, and died in London, May 2, 1667. Among his writings are: “Fidelia,” “The Shepherd’s Hunting,” “Hymns and Songs of the Church,” “The Motto,” “Abuses Stript and Whipt,” and his best-known song, “Shall I, Wasting in Despair.”

In lang, lang day o’ simmer,When the clear and cloudless skyRefuses ae wee drap o’ rainTo Nature parched and dry,The genial night, wi’ balmy breath,Gars verdure spring anew,An’ ilka blade o’ grassKeps its ain drap o’ dew.“Its Ain Drap o’ Dew,”—Ballantine.

“Its Ain Drap o’ Dew,”—Ballantine.

James Ballantine, a noted Scotch poet, was born in Edinburgh, on June 11, 1808, and died December 18, 1877. His poetical works include: “The Gaberlunzie’s Wallet,” “One Hundred Songs,” etc.

All things change, creeds and philosophies and outward systems—but God remains.“Robert Elsmere,” Book IV, Chap, xxvi,—Mary Augusta (Arnold) Ward.

All things change, creeds and philosophies and outward systems—but God remains.

“Robert Elsmere,” Book IV, Chap, xxvi,—Mary Augusta (Arnold) Ward.

Mrs. Humphry Ward (Mary Augusta Arnold), a famous English novelist, was born at Hobart Town, Tasmania,June 11, 1851, and died in 1920. She has written: “Milly and Ollie,” “Miss Bretherton,” “Robert Elsmere,” “The History of David Grieve,” “Marcella,” “The Story of Bessie Costrell,” “Sir George Tressady,” “Eleanor,” “Lady Rose’s Daughter,” “The Marriage of William Ashe,” “Fenwick’s Career,” “Diana Mallory,” “Daphne,” “Canadian Born,” “England’s Effort,” “Towards the Goal,” “Missing,” etc.

The poems of Alfred Tennyson have certainly much of the beauty of a long-past time; but they have also a life so vivid, a truth so lucid, and a melody so inexhaustible, as to mark him the poet that cannot die.“A History of the Thirty Years’ Peace,” A.D. 1815-1846, Vol. IV. p. 436—Harriet Martineau.

“A History of the Thirty Years’ Peace,” A.D. 1815-1846, Vol. IV. p. 436—Harriet Martineau.

Harriet Martineau, a notable English reformer and miscellaneous writer, was born at Norwich, June 12, 1802, and died at Ambleside, June 27, 1876. Among her most noted works are: “Society in America,” “Deerbrook,” “History of England During the Thirty Years’ Peace,” “Philosophy of Comte,” “British Rule in India,” “Biographical Sketches,” etc.

I am reading again, the “History of England,” that of Smollett.... I have to the reign of George the Second, and, in spite of the dislike I have of Smollett’s language and style of writing, I am much entertained.—Burney, Frances, 1770.“Early Diary,” ed. Ellis, Vol. I, p. 94,—Frances Burney.

“Early Diary,” ed. Ellis, Vol. I, p. 94,—Frances Burney.

Frances Burney—Madame D’Arblay, a celebrated English novelist, was born in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, June 13, 1752, and died in Bath, January 6, 1840. Among her noted works are: “Evelina, or a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World,” “Cecilia,” “Camilla,” and “The Wanderer, or Female Difficulties.”

Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever;Do noble things, not dream them, all day long:And so make life, death, and that vast foreverOne grand sweet song.“A Farewell,”—Charles Kingsley.

Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever;Do noble things, not dream them, all day long:And so make life, death, and that vast foreverOne grand sweet song.

“A Farewell,”—Charles Kingsley.

Charles Kingsley, the distinguished English novelist, poet, and philanthropist, was born at Holne, near Dartmoor, Devonshire, June 13, 1819, and died at Eversley, Hampshire, January 23, 1875. He wrote many novels, among them: “Hypatia,” “The Saint’s Tragedy,” (a drama in verse), “Alton Locke, Tailor and Poet,” “Westward, Ho!” “Yeast,” “The Water Babies,” (a fairy tale). Also “Lectures Delivered in America,” “Poems,” “Andromeda and Other Poems,” etc.

Land of Heart’s Desire,Where beauty has no ebb, decay no flood,But joy is wisdom, Time and endless song.“Land of Heart’s Desire,”—William Butler Yeats.

Land of Heart’s Desire,Where beauty has no ebb, decay no flood,But joy is wisdom, Time and endless song.

“Land of Heart’s Desire,”—William Butler Yeats.

William Butler Yeats, a famous Irish poet and writer of romance, was born in Dublin, June 13, 1865. He has written: “The Wanderings of Oisin,” “Celtic Twilight,” “Poems,” “The Secret Rose,” “Irish Folk Lore,” “Fairy Tales,” “Irish Stories,” “The Wind Among the Reeds,” “The Countess Kathleen,” “The Shadowy Waters,” “Ideas of Good and Evil,” “In the Seven Woods,” “Hour Glass and Other Plays,” “The King’s Threshold,” “Deirdre,” “The Green Helmet and Other Poems,” “Plays for an Irish Theatre,” etc.

It lies around us like a cloud—A world we do not see;Yet the sweet closing of an eyeMay bring us there to be.“The Other World,”—Harriet Beecher Stowe.

It lies around us like a cloud—A world we do not see;Yet the sweet closing of an eyeMay bring us there to be.

“The Other World,”—Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Harriet Beecher Stowe, a renowned American novelist, was born at Litchfield, Conn., June 14, 1811, and died atHartford, Conn., July 1, 1896. Among her numerous works are: “Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands,” “First Geography for Children,” “The Minister’s Wooing,” “Religious Poems,” “Agnes of Sorrento,” “Men of Our Times,” “Earthly Care a Heavenly Discipline,” “House and Home Papers,” “Palmetto Leaves,” “The Ravages of a Carpet,” “The Chimney Corner,” “Little Foxes,” “Lives and Deeds of Our Self-Made Men,” etc., etc. Also her famous works: “Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly,” “Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” and “Uncle Tom’s Emancipation.”

Justice, like lightning, ever should appear;To few men ruin, but to all men fear.—Thomas Randolph.

Justice, like lightning, ever should appear;To few men ruin, but to all men fear.

—Thomas Randolph.

Thomas Randolph, a noted English poet and dramatist, was born near Daventry in Northamptonshire, and was baptized June 15, 1605, and died in 1635. Among his plays are: “The Jealous Lovers,” “The Muses’ Looking-Glasse,” etc.

Smiling always with a never fading serenity of countenance, and flourishing in an immortal youth.“Duty of Thanksgiving,” “Works,” Vol. I, p. 66,—Isaac Barrow.

Smiling always with a never fading serenity of countenance, and flourishing in an immortal youth.

“Duty of Thanksgiving,” “Works,” Vol. I, p. 66,—Isaac Barrow.

Isaac Barrow, a distinguished English theologian, classical scholar and mathematician, was born at London, June 16, 1630, and died at London, April, 1677. The best edition of his theological works is that of Rev. A. Napier (1859).

Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry.—John Wesley.

Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry.

—John Wesley.

John Wesley, a celebrated English divine and writer, was born at Epworth, June 17, 1703, and died March 2, 1791. He wrote: “Doctrine of Original Sin,” “Explanatory Notes on the New Testament,” “Preservative AgainstUnsettled Notions in Religion,” “A Calm Address to Our American Colonies,” “Survey of the Wisdom of God in Creation,” “Notes on the Old and New Testaments,” etc.

Back to Index Next