Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.
_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow._
A CREED
Men may seem sundered from each other; but the soul that each possesses, and the destiny common to all, invest them with a basic brotherhood.
There is a destiny that makes us brothers: None goes his way alone: All that we send into the lives of others Comes back into our own.
I care not what his temples or his creeds, One thing holds firm and fast-- That into his fateful heap of days and deeds The soul of a man is cast.
_Edwin Markham_
From "Lincoln, and Other Poems."
BATTLE CRY
We should win if we can. But in any case we should prove our manhood by fighting.
More than half beaten, but fearless, Facing the storm and the night; Breathless and reeling but tearless, Here in the lull of the fight, I who bow not but before thee, G.o.d of the fighting Clan, Lifting my fists, I implore Thee, Give me the heart of a Man!
What though I live with the winners Or perish with those who fall?
Only the cowards are sinners, Fighting the fight is all.
Strong is my foe--he advances!
Snapt is my blade, O Lord!
See the proud banners and lances!
Oh, spare me this stub of a sword!
Give me no pity, nor spare me; Calm not the wrath of my Foe.
See where he beckons to dare me!
Bleeding, half beaten--I go.
Not for the glory of winning, Not for the fear of the night; Shunning the battle is sinning-- Oh, spare me the heart to fight!
Red is the mist about me; Deep is the wound in my side; "Coward" thou criest to flout me?
O terrible Foe, thou hast lied!
Here with my battle before me, G.o.d of the fighting Clan, Grant that the woman who bore me Suffered to suckle a Man!
_John G. Neihardt._
From "The Quest" (collected lyrics).
THE HAPPY HEART
One of our objects in life should be to find happiness, contentment. The means of happiness are surprisingly simple. We need not be rich or high-placed or powerful in order to be content. In fact the lowly are often the best satisfied. Izaak Walton lived the simple life and thanked G.o.d that there were so many things in the world of which he had no need.
Art thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers?
O sweet content!
Art thou rich, yet is thy mind perplexed?
O punishment!
Dost thou laugh to see how fools are vexed To add to golden numbers, golden numbers?
O sweet content! O sweet, O sweet content!
Work apace, apace, apace, apace; Honest labor bears a lovely face; Then hey nonny nonny, hey nonny nonny!
Canst drink the waters of the crisped spring?
O sweet content!
Swimm"st thou in wealth, yet sink"st in thine own tears?
O punishment!
Then he that patiently want"s burden bears No burden bears, but is a king, a king!
O sweet content! O sweet, O sweet content!
Work apace, apace, apace, apace; Honest labor bears a lovely face; Then hey nonny nonny, hey nonny nonny!
_Thomas Dekker._
IF YOU CAN"T GO OVER OR UNDER, GO ROUND
Often the straight road to the thing we desire is blocked. We should not then weakly give over our purpose, but should set about attaining it by some indirect method. A politician knows that one way of getting a man"s vote is to please the man"s wife, and that one way of pleasing the wife is to kiss her baby.
A baby mole got to feeling big, And wanted to show how he could dig; So he plowed along in the soft, warm dirt Till he hit something hard, and it surely hurt!
A dozen stars flew out of his snout; He sat on his haunches, began to pout; Then rammed the thing again with his head-- His grandpap picked him up half dead.
"Young man," he said, "though your pate is bone.
You can"t b.u.t.t your way through solid stone.
This bit of advice is good, I"ve found: If you can"t go over or under, go round."
A traveler came to a stream one day, And because it presumed to cross his way, And wouldn"t turn round to suit his whim And change its course to go with him, His anger rose far more than it should, And he vowed he"d cross right where he stood.
A man said there was a bridge below, But not a step would he budge or go.
The current was swift and the bank was steep, But he jumped right in with a violent leap.
A fisherman dragged him out half-drowned: "When you can"t go over or under, go round."