Under thy opalescent skies
The vagrant summer idly lies,
While coming Autumn deftly weaves
Rare tints for tall ungarnered sheaves
Of goldenrod, kissing the eyes
Of purple asters as she dyes
The vine that swings beneath the eaves._
_And all the bending hedgerows seem
A Joseph's coat of colors. Hues
That shame the rainbow's royal arch
Set all the harvest fields a-gleam
With beauty, fresh with fragrant dews
To crown the season's onward march._
GEORGE W. SHIPMAN.
Author and Giver of every good and perfect gift whose infinite presence
and power underlie all growth and life and activity, Who revealest
Thyself in the varied forms of beauty which come so rapidly in the
revolving year, in the green grass and blossoming roses and lilies and
refreshing, fast-succeeding fruits, we thank Thee that Thou art now
crowning the year with Thy goodness and inviting us to gather in from
tree, garden, field, forest, mine, what will feed, clothe, protect us
during the wintry season given us, free from arduous labors, to find
enjoyment in books, music and social intercourse. These blessings remind
us to present to Thee the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, long
suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance. Amen.
CALVIN S. LOCKE.
October 2
_One answered, on the day when Christ went by,
"Lord, I am rich; pause not for such as I.
My work, my home, my strength, my frugal store,
The sun and rain--what need have I of more?
Go to the sinful who have need of Thee,
Go to the poor, but tarry not for me.
What is there Thou should'st do for such as I?"
And He went by._
_Long years thereafter, by a palace door,
The footstep of the Master paused once more
From whence the old voice answered piteously,--
"Lord, I am poor, my house unfit for Thee;
Nor peace nor pleasures bless my princely board,
Nor love nor health; what could I give Thee, Lord?
Lord, I am poor, unworthy, stained with sin,--"
Yet He went in._
MABEL EARLE.
We who are poor in spirit, turn to Thee who art the giver of every good
and perfect gift, to hold out our empty hands and pray that Thou wilt
make us rich. During the past days and years we have been out in Thy
world striving for more things and then more things and yet more things,
forgetful of the fact that a man's life consisteth not in the abundance
of the things which he possesseth. Now, realizing the poverty of our
real lives, we ask Thee to bestow upon us those eternal riches which
pertain to the human soul and possessing which we shall have treasure in
that heaven within where moth and rust do not corrupt nor thieves break
through and steal. So shall we be rich indeed. Amen.
FRANK OLIVER HALL.
October 3
_Be strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift.
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift.
Shun not the struggle; face it. 'Tis God's gift._
_Be strong!
Say not the days are evil,--who's to blame?
And fold the hands and acquiesce--O shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God's name._
_Be strong!
It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long,
Faint not, fight on! Tomorrow comes the song._
MALTBIE DAVENPORT BABCOCK.
O our Father, we thank Thee for this new morning. Truly the light is
sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the same. Lift
Thou upon us the light of Thy countenance and bid us go in peace. So
shall we begin the day aright. With gentle skill Thou dost deal with us.
Thou art not careless with us or hasty or impatient. Help us to be
strong in Thee. May we be able to cast out of our lives everything that
would grieve Thee and harm us. With a loving spirit may we serve Thee
this day. May we be rooted and grounded in love. However hard the battle
may go give us courage and confidence to believe that through Christ,
strengthening us, we can do all things required of us. Lord, increase
our faith. Amen.
J. E. HAWKINS.
October 4
_Nobody proves God's being. But, suddenly, one sees God is here.
One speaks and God answers. Thereafter all is sure._
EDWARD EVERETT HALE.
_There is nothing that so persuades us of the great realities of
moral and spiritual being as the man in whom God is manifest, the
type of our human nature at its best, and the indorsement of the
sublime faith that God in humanity is the supreme revelation of
Himself!_
HORATIO STEBBINS.
Blessed Father, as the morning light has triumphed in its struggle to
overcome darkness, so Thou dost gently but irresistibly call us from
slumber to the glories and duties of the new day. May we be strong in
the sweet assurance that the unfolding hours are full of blessing
because Thou art caring for us. Help us to do Thy will by enabling us to
minister to those around us. May the words of our mouth and the industry
of our hands reveal Thy guiding love. Enable us to order our ways by the
habit of trust that we have learned through Thy constancy. Wilt Thou
disappoint our fears, steady our hearts, and show us the way of
obedience, peace and service that we may realize the good through the
day and rejoice in it, as disciples of Christ. Amen.
JAMES D. CORBY.
October 5
_Thou knowest not what argument
Thy life to thy neighbor's creed hath lent;
All are needed by each one;
Nothing is good or fair alone._
RALPH WALDO EMERSON.
_Men will not be content to live every man for himself, nor to die
every man for himself. In work, in art, in study, in trade--in all
life, indeed, the children of God, called by a Saviour's voice,
will wish to live in the common cause. They will live for the
common wealth,--this is the modern phrase. They will bear each
other's burdens,--this is the phrase of Paul. They will live in the
life of love. And it will prove true as it was promised, that all
things are added to the community which thus seeks the Kingdom of
God and His Righteousness._
EDWARD EVERETT HALE.
Eternal God, who dost still create the light, and make the morning and
the evening of our days, by Thy light we look to Thee. In Thy light we
worship Thee. Gird us with strength to work with Thee to bring Thy
Kingdom in. May we lose and find ourselves again in the larger whole of
life by ministering to others' needs; by bearing others' burdens; by
sharing their joys and tears and the common fruits of toil, thus making
our life and faith in Thee become their own. Let Thy work appear unto
Thy servants, and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the
work of our hands establish Thou it; and let Thy beauty and Thy glory be
upon us forever and ever. Amen.
C. E. HOLMES.
October 6
_Master, to do great work for Thee, my hand
Is far too weak! Thou givest what may suit,
Some little chips to cut with care minute,
Or tint, or grave, or polish. Others stand
Before their quarried marble, fair and grand,
And make a life-work of the grand design
Which Thou hast traced; or, many-skilled, combine
To build vast temples, gloriously planned.
Yet take the tiny stones which I have wrought
Just one by one, as they were given by Thee,
Not knowing what came next in Thy wise thought.
Let each stone by Thy master-hand of grace
Form the mosaic as Thou wilt for me
And in Thy temple-pavement give it place._
FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL.
Father, we are shortsighted and weak, and hence cannot do our best work
without Thine aid. We rejoice in the privileges and opportunities of
this day. Thou hast counted us worthy to work for Thee. Thou canst use
our loaves and fishes, but dost require us to bring thus our little all
for Thy blessing. We are inspired with hope to make our consecration to
Thee. Make this a day of glorious service. Guide us in our thoughts and
work. Glorify Thyself in our life. And wherever the close of this day
may find us may it be with the feeling that we have done our best by Thy
blessing and help. Amen.
J. W. FULTON.
October 7
_"Whatever the weather may be," says he--
"Whatever the weather may be,
It's the songs ye sing, an' the smiles ye wear,
That's a-making the sun shine everywhere;
An' the world of gloom is a world of glee,
Wid the bird in the bush, an' the bud in the tree
An' the fruit on the stim o' the bough," says he,
"Whatever the weather may be," says he--
"Whatever the weather may be!"_
JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY.
O Father of Lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that
is cast by turning, help us today so to trust Thee that our joy may be
unclouded. Thy love is unchanging in its radiance and warmth. Therefore
let it glow in me and through me light someone who may be in darkness. O
strong Son of God, who art the same, yesterday, today, yea, and forever,
enable us, we beseech Thee, to be brave and cheery as though Thyself
wast in the darkest hours as in the brightest. Teach us that the storm
and trial is just our opportunity to shine. Cleanse us of all
disobedience and darkness. Be our constant Comforter. Let others see
that it is Christ within us. Amen.
THOMAS W. SMITH.
October 8
_Look up to God, and say, "Make use of me for the future as Thou
wilt. I am of the same mind; I am equal with Thee. I refuse nothing
which seems good to Thee. Lead me whither Thou wilt. Clothe me in
whatever dress Thou wilt. Is it Thy will that I should be in a
public or private condition; dwell here, or be banished; be poor or
rich? Under all these circumstances I will make Thy defence to men.
I will show what the nature of everything is."_
EPICTETUS.
Merciful Father, we begin this day, knowing not what the end may be,
with thoughts of Thee and Thy loving kindness. May this be to us a day
of joy, a day upon which we can look back and say we have been blessed
by Thee. We pray for that spirit that enabled others to labor in the
cause of love and righteousness, and while we may not be able to
accomplish all the good we have set our hearts upon, may the thought
that our lives and our labors have not been in vain, inspire us and
others with courage to continue the work of helping and blessing our
fellowmen. Amen.
DONALD FRASER.
October 9
_Men deny the Divine Existence with as little feeling as the most
assert it. Even in our true systems we go on collecting mere words,
playmarks and medals, as the misers do coins; and not till late do
we transmute the words into feelings, the coins into enjoyments. A
man may for twenty years believe the immortality of the soul; in
the one-and-twentieth, in some great moment, he for the first time
discovers with amazement the rich meaning of this belief, and the
warmth of this naphtha-well._
RICHTER.
O Thou Who slumberest not, nor sleepest, in the dawn of this new day we
look trustingly to Thee. While the night has been enfolding us, Thy
loving care has held us in the everlasting arms. May this day be for us
a fresh consecration. May we be ennobled in Thee. May we share Thy life
in things small or great. However humble our lives--however emptied our
experience of that which wins the plaudits of men, may we manifest Thee.
By us may Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done. Amen.
GEORGE H. YOUNG.
October 10
_Thou wilt not hold in scorn the child who dares
Look up to Thee, the Father,--dares to ask
More than Thy wisdom answers. From Thy hand
The worlds were cast; yet every leaflet claims
From that same hand its little shining sphere
Of star-lit dew; thine image, the great sun,
Girt with his mantle of tempestuous flame,
Glares in mid-heaven; but to his noontide blaze
The slender violet lifts its lidless eye,
And from his splendor steals its fairest hue,
Its sweetest perfume from the scorching fire._
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.
Thou great Spirit of life and power, we do not shrink in terror before
Thee, but come to Thee in trust and love. Though we cannot fathom the
mystery of Thy life nor measure the might of Thy power, yet we have
learned to call Thee Father; and even as the violet lifts its face to
the noonday sun to find the secret of its life, so we lift our faces to
Thee, to find the secret of our lives. Thou answerest us with
tenderness. Thou speakest to us in love. Fresh from sleep, we put our
hands in Thine to be led forth to the duties of the day. May we go forth
with that confidence and hope, which are born of trust in Thee, our
Father. Amen.
GEORGE L. PERIN.
October 11
_Now believe me, God hides some ideal in every human soul. Some
time in our life we feel a trembling, fearful longing to do some
good thing. Life finds its noblest spring of excellence in this
hidden impulse to do our best. There is a time when we are not
content to be such merchants or doctors or lawyers as we see on the
dead level or below it. The woman longs to glorify her womanhood as
sister, wife or mother. Here is God,--God standing silently at the
door all day long,--God whispering to the soul that to be pure and
true is to succeed in life and that whatever we get short of that
will burn up like stubble, though the whole world try to save it._
ROBERT COLLYER.
God of all power and might, come into our lives with Thy might and Thy
power. Awaken us from that slumber of death-in-life which easily and
sweetly steals through the door, and, like some new Delilah, binds the
strong will within. Come, come as the fresh morning sun, to drive away
the mist of our sloth and indecision. Come, enter; and bring with Thee
the upstirring power and the wide radiance of the life divine. Come,
enter, and abide! When Thou art absent, though life be easy, it doth not
satisfy us; but when Thou art present, though life be hard, it doth also
content us. O God of all power and might, come Thou into our lives with
Thy might and Thy power. Amen.
MELVIN BRANDOW.
October 12
_If you really want to help your fellowmen, you must not merely
have in you what would do them good if they should take it from
you, but you must be such a man that they can take it from you. The
snow must melt upon the mountain and come down in a spring torrent,
before its richness can make the valley rich. And yet in every age
there are cold, hard, unsympathetic wise men standing up aloof,
like snow banks on the hill tops, conscious of the locked up
fertility in them and wondering that their wisdom does not save the
world._
PHILLIPS BROOKS.
O Thou, who hast kept us safely during the unconsciousness of our
slumbering hours and brought us refreshed to this morning light, prepare
us for the duties of this day by filling us with the assurance that we
are Thine, and that Thou lovest us. Help us to be more like Thee, to
love Thee more and serve Thee better. May we manifest our love to Thee
by our willingness to be of service to our fellowmen. Make us
warm-hearted and true, helpful and kind, reflecting Thy love and doing
Thy will. We are glad to live in this beautiful world. And we pray that
we may be faithful co-laborers with Jesus Christ, in bringing light,
love and joy to all lives. Amen.
EUGENE M. GRANT.
October 13
_A few more smiles of silent sympathy, a few more tender words, a
little more restraint in temper, may make all the difference
between happiness and half-happiness to those I live with._
STOPFORD A. BROOKE.
_Others shall sing the song,
Others shall right the wrong,
Finish what I begin,
And all I fail to win,
What matter, I or they,
Mine or another's day,
So the right word be said,
And life the sweeter made?_
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER.
Father, so little of the world in which we live is Thy world, so much
our world, the petty, dwarfed world of our own small vision, that we
lose heart and fail to do our share. Help us to see that, as in the
densest swamps the sweetest flowers grow, so, even in our darkest hours,
we still may be sweet at heart, saying the word, doing the deed, giving
the sympathy, that will make the world sing and blossom. If there are
times when pain and darkness obscure our vision of Thee, help us to look
on to the sunset of our day, when the black pall is transfigured at the
touch of Thy glory,--when sorrow and failure transcended by gentleness
are our beauty and salvation. Amen.
JOHN M. DAVIDSON.
October 14
_There is not a man in the world who is not saved by hope every day
of his life. Rob one of hope and you have robbed him of his power.
Nothing may so quickly unnerve a man and render him helpless as to
take hope out of his heart. What is poverty? What is sickness? What
is disaster? What are daily burdens? What signifies the desertion
of friends, what of death itself so long as a man can hope? The man
who hopes will brush every difficulty out of the way. He will put
aside every suggestion of failure. Take hope out of a man's heart
and you have taken all. Put hope into a man's heart and you have
given all._
GEORGE L. PERIN.
We thank Thee, O God, for the light of another morning, for the
privilege of entering upon another day. We shall meet with those who do
not understand life nor the world in which we live. It is to them only a
place to bear burdens, to toil, to endure. Give us, O Father,
understanding minds and hearts. Teach us to know that life is a great
opportunity, that Thy plans for each one are very broad, that the world
is full of open doors; and inspired by this knowledge may no despondent
soul cross our path without being helped and made to feel that every
life through the love of God and the guidance of God may be made
sublime. Amen.
ALEXANDER DIGHT.
October 15
_Ho! for the bending sheaves,
Ho! for the crimson leaves
Flaming in splendor!
Season of ripened gold,
Plenty in crib and fold,
Skies with a depth untold
Liquid and tender._
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL.
Source Infinite and Eternal of Light and Life; Creator of being flowing
on forever; Minister far and wide of unspeakable bounty; Through whose
power rise the riches of Nature; From whose abundance descend all gifts
to man; Soul of our souls and safeguard of the world; To whom all
Intelligence looks through every dawn; And by whose support the heart of
man is stayed; Let there be to our steps paths of brightness; to our
lives laws of justice, kindness, and trust, that we may abound in doing
good and by grace, mercy, and truth duly shown, may obtain grateful
remembrance evermore. Amen.
EDWARD C. TOWNE.
October 16
_There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time._
_The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills._
RICHARD HOVEY.
O Father, my heart is lonely till I feel Thy spirit near, and then the
glory of the season brings a message to my soul. Help me now to see Thy
master hand in the great beauty of the world. May my soul that feels the
glad riot of color know that he who gives such beauty and bounty has for
me far richer blessings in the great fields of the future. May this day,
begun with Nature's rhythm be set with the music of holy purpose and
noble service. And may the music sound not alone for me, but for others
that we together may march forward in the spirit of Him who loved the
lilies of the field and the fowls of the air. Amen.
CHARLES E. VARNEY.
October 17
_Thousands of years ago a leaf fell on the soft clay, and seemed to
be lost. But last summer a geologist in his ramblings broke off a
piece of rock with his hammer, and there lay the image of the leaf,
with every line and every vein and all the delicate tracery
preserved in the stone through those centuries. So the words we
speak and the things we do today may seem to be lost, but in the
great final revealing the smallest of them will appear._
JAMES RUSSELL MILLER.
Our Father we thank Thee for the light of this new day. Tenderly Thou
hast withdrawn the curtain of the night and shown us the beauties and
glories of Nature, reminding us of Thine own blessed verdict in the dawn
of creation, "Behold they are very good." Good indeed, is it to live in
such a world, and we thank Thee for our being. We ask this morning, dear
Lord, not for the perishing things of earth, but for continued power and
disposition to enjoy Thee and Thy works, for a faith that never wavers
and a hope that never grows dim, for such a portion of this world's
goods as the wise may enjoy without harm and the righteous hold without
wrong. Amen.
JAMES SALLAWAY.
October 18
_Nay, I wrong you, little flower,
Reading mournful mood of mine
In your looks, that give no sign
Of a spirit dark and cheerless:
You possess the heavenly power
That rejoices in the hour,
Glad, contented, free and fearless,--
Lifts a sunny face to heaven
When a sunny day is given;
Makes a summer of its own,
Blooming late and all alone._
HENRY VAN DYKE.
We thank Thee, O Father, that, to those who obey the command of Jesus to
consider them, the flowers become prophets of God and preachers of
righteousness. We thank Thee for the worship which They render Thee, so
pure, so brave, so glad, and so acceptable. They may not hinder Thee and
Thou dost work Thy perfect will in them; O give us the wisdom and the
grace to make Thee welcome to our hearts until in us also Thou shalt
work Thy perfect will. So may we find our true use and felicity, and
render unto Thee the praise that is Thy due. And this we ask through
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
CHARLES R. TENNEY.
October 19
_Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with Him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel-shells
With a sweet kernel; to set to budding more
And still more later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o'er brimmed their clammy cells._
JOHN KEATS.
Our dear Heavenly Father, Thou hast ever been wooing us by a thousand
influences and voices to Thyself and our souls are ever restless till
they rest in Thy love. The voices of nature everywhere speak to us of
Thy goodness and Thy power and all verdure and blossom and fruitage is
but the answer of the inanimate world to Thy call of life. Shall we do
less than these, O God, when upon us Thou hast stamped Thine own image
and made our being the house beautiful for Thine indwelling! We are Thy
disciples indeed if we bear much fruit and have love one for the other.
Mould us, fashion us, mature us, dear Lord, till the angels, watching at
the gates and on the towers, say we look like Thee. And this we ask in
Jesus' name. Amen.
GEORGE M. SMILEY.
October 20
_I pluck an acorn from the greensward, and hold it to my ear and
this is what it says to me: "By and by the birds will come and nest
in me. By and by I will furnish shade for the cattle. By and by I
will provide warmth for the home in the pleasant fire. By and by I
will be shelter from the storm to those who have gone under the
roof. By and by I will be the strong ribs of the great vessel, and
the tempest will beat against me in vain, while I carry men across
the Atlantic." "O foolish little acorn, wilt thou be all this?" I
ask. And the acorn answers, "Yes, God and I."_
LYMAN ABBOTT.
Almighty God, we believe that Thou art present and controlling in all
the operations of Nature. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without Thy
notice. All life is of Thy giving. Plants, animals, and worlds alike are
governed by Thy laws. We realize in some measure Thy Omnipotence. We
should fear to draw near to Thee if Thou hadst not revealed Thyself to
us in Jesus Christ as a God of love. Thou, O God, art love. We believe
that Thou wilt give to all Thy children eternal life. As from the acorn
comes the oak, clothed in royal beauty, seemingly life from death, so
from what seems death shall our immortal spirits rise to dwell forever
with Thee. We adore Thee, O God. We love Thee for Thy goodness and Thy
love shown to us. Be gracious unto us and bless us for our Saviour's
sake. Amen.
CYRUS NORTHROP.
October 21
_I suppose every day of earth, with its hundred thousand deaths and
something more of births,--with its loves and hates, its triumphs
and defeats, its pangs and blisses, has more of humanity in it than
all the books that were ever written, put together. I believe the
flowers growing at this moment send up more fragrance to heaven
than was ever exhaled from all the essences ever distilled._
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.