Death's younger brother, and so like him, that I never dare trust him without my prayers.-Sir Thomas Brown. Come, gentle sleep, attend thy votary's prayer; From an observation of more than sixty years, I have learnt that man in health requires, at an average, from six to seven hours' sleep; and healthy women a little more, from seven to eight, in four-and-twenty hours. I know this quantity of sleep to be most advantageous to the body, as well as the soul. It is preferable to any medicine which I have known both for preventing and removing nervous disorders.-John Wesley. Sleep! to the homeless, thou art home; The friendless find in thee a friend; Who meets thee at his journey's end. The will and power are given to thee- To look uncensured, though unbidden, The secrets of th' Unsearchable -Elliott. Come, sleep, O sleep! the certain knot of peace, - Easy lessons in death to the living.—Life's railway station. Sloth. Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all easy; and he that riseth late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night; while laziness travels so slowly, that poverty soon overtakes him.—Franklin. — It would be thought a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their time, to be employed in its service; but idleness taxes many of us much more, if we reckon all that is spent in absolute sloth, or doing of nothing, with that which is spent in idle employments, or amusements that amount to nothing. Sloth, by bringing on diseases, absolutely shortens life. Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labour wears, while the key often used is always bright. Small Things. The nerve of a tooth, not so large as a fine needle, will sometimes drive a strong man to distraction. A mosquito can make an elephant actually mad. A coral rock, which causes a navy to founder, is the work of worms. The warrior that fronted death in a thousand forms may be killed by an insect. The deepest wretchedness often results from petty trials. A chance look from those we love often produces exquisite pain or unalloyed pleasure. - Springs are little things, but they are sometimes sources of large streams; a helm is a little thing, but it governs the course of a large ship; a bridle bit is a little thing, but see its use and power; a word, a look, a frown, all are little things, but powerful for good or evil. Think of this, and mind the little things. Pay that little debt-it is a promise, redeem it—if it is only a shilling; you know not what important event hangs upon it. Keep your word sacredly-keep it to the children, they will mark it sooner than any one else, and the effect will probably be as lasting as life. Small Talk. Small talk is like small change; it flows Of trivial value each, but which, Smile (A). Who can tell the value of a smile? It costs nothing to the giver, but is beyond price to the erring and relenting, the sad and cheerless, the lost and forsaken. It disarms malice-subdues temper-turns hatred to love-revenge to kindness and paves the darkest paths with gems of sunlight. A smile on the brow betrays a kind heart, a pleasant friend, an affectionate brother, a dutiful son, a happy husband. It adds a charm to beauty, it decorates the face of the deformed, and makes a lovely woman resemble an angel in paradise. She has just time to look up and smile. And oh ! what a sight there is in that word-a smile-it changes colour like a chameleon. There's a vacant smile, a cold smile, å smile of hate, a satiric smile, a smile of approbation, a friendly smile-but, above all, a smile of love. A woman has two smiles that an angel might envy—the smile that accepts the lover before the words are uttered, and the smile that lights on the first-born baby, and assures it of a mother's love.-Sam Slick. Let not sleep fall upon thy eyes till thou hast thrice reviewed the transactions of the past day. Where have I turned aside from rectitude? What have I been doing? What have I left undone which I ought to have done? Begin thus from the first act, and proceed; and, in conclusion, at the ill which thou hast done, be troubled, and rejoice for the good.-Pythagoras. By all means use sometimes to be alone. He breaks up house, turns out of doors his mind. Self-Flattery. It often amuses me to hear men impute all their misfortunes to fate, luck, or destiny, whilst their successes or good fortune they ascribe to their own sagacity, cleverness, or penetration. It never occurs to such minds that light and darkness are one and the same, emanating from, and being part of the same nature.-S. T. Coleridge. Self-Government. Let not any one say he cannot govern his passions, nor hinder them from breaking out and carrying into action; for what he can do before a prince or a great man, he can do alone, or in the presence of God, if he will.-Locke. Self-Observation. Men carry their minds as for the most part they carry their watches, content to be ignorant of the constitution and action within, and attentive only to the little exterior circle of things to which the passions, like indexes, are pointing.— Foster. Self-Will. Self-will is so ardent and active that it will break the world to pieces to make a stool to sit upon.-Cecil. Sense. Fine sense and exalted sense are not half so valuable as common sense. There are fifty men of wit for one man of sense; and he who will carry nothing about him but gold, will be every day at a loss for want of ready change. Sensibility. Sensibility is like the stars, that can lead only when the sky is clear. Reason is the magnetic needle, which guides the ship when the stars are wrapt in darkness.-Heber. Separation. The separation of lovers, even with an immediate prospect of union, involves a sentiment of deep melancholy. The re-action of our solitary emotions, after a social impulse of such peculiar excitement, very much disheartens and depresses us. Mutual passion is complete sympathy. Under such an influence there is no feeling so strong, no fancy so delicate, that it is not instantly responded to. Our heart has no secrets, though our life may. Under such an influence, each unconsciously labours to enchant the other; each struggles to maintain the reality of that ideal which has been reached in a moment of happy inspiration. Then is the season, when the voice is ever soft, the eye ever bright, and every movement of the frame airy and picturesque; each accent is full of tenderness, each glance of affection, each gesture of grace. We live in a heaven of our own creation. All happens that can contribute to our perfect satisfaction, and can ensure our complete self-complacency. We give and we receive felicity. We adore and are adored. Love is the May-day of the heart. But a cloud, nevertheless, will dim the genial lustre of that soft and brilliant sky, when we are alone; when the soft voice no longer sighs, and the bright eye no longer beams, and the form we worship no longer moves before our enraptured vision. Our happiness becomes too much the result of reflection. Our faith is not less devout, but it is not so fervent. We believe in the miracle, but we no longer witness it. |