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JULY.

CORNELIAN: CONTENTED MIND.

I BLESS Thee, Father, that where'er I go
A brotherhood of blessed creatures goes
With me, and biddeth me Godspeed. For all
Thy mute and innocent creatures take my thanks,
To me they are child-brethren, without speech or sin.
And first for him, the noblest of them all,

He who brings day and summer, disenchants

The ice-bound streams, and wakes the happy birds, Pure choristers, to matins; at whose call

The young flowers, startled from their hiding-places, Peep and laugh; who clothes the earth, and fills The heavens with joy; and he is beautiful

And radiant with great splendour. Praise to Thee,
O Highest! for our royal brother Sun,

For bears he not an impress, Lord, of Thee?
And praise for her, our holy white-veiled sister,
Praise for the Moon and Stars; our brother Fire!
Praise for our brother Wind; our sister Water!
And for our mother Earth, who feedeth us
With such unwearied love, and strews our paths
With rainbow-tinted flowers, and healing herbs;
Our gentle, generous, most beautiful,
And ever youthful Mother.

Thus, blessed Christ, all praise to Thee for these
Thy creatures. They are all Thy ministers,
Children and servants are we in one household,
Dwelling before Thee in sweet harmony.

O bless us all! Father! we all bless Thee.

Canticum Solis: S. FRANCIS D'ASSISI.

I pray that my lot may be,

Neither with Riches, nor with Poverty,

But in that happy mean which for the soul is best, And with contentment blest

To dwell with Peace, and far from men. Southey.

True love can no more be diminished by showers of evilhap, than flowers are marred by timely rains. SIR P. SYDNEY. She that is loved is safe, and he that loves is joyful. JEREMY TAYLOR.

Death with his healing hand
Shall once more knit the band,

Which needs but that one link, which none may sever,

Till, through the Only Good,
Heard, felt, and understood,

Our life in God shall make us one for ever.

July 2.

DEAN STANLEY.

Two ears to one tongue, therefore hear twice as much as you speak.

Turkish Proverb.

Were we as eloquent as angels, yet should we please some men, some women, some children, much more by listening than by talking.

The fair wild honeysuckle flower
Seemeth of her to speak,

COLTON.

Who clings to home, her sheltering bower,
With loving heart and meek,

Careless for self, but full of care

That home be ever sweet and fair.

ANON.

Like their days, their joys shall ne'er be done; No night shall rise to shade Heaven's glorious sun, But one eternal Holiday go on.

ROWE.

July 2.

We live with other men, and to other men; neither with, nor to ourselves. CLARENDON.

The roundabout common ways of things are just as much God's as the straight miraculous ones. In all things that are, He is present, even in the evil we bring into the world, to foil it, and bring good out of it.

GEO. MACDOnald.

Good-nature and evenness of temper will give you an easy companion for life, virtue and good sense an agreeable friend, love and constancy a good wife or husband.

In His Will is our peace.

There is no death; an angel form

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DANTE.

Walks o'er the earth with silent tread,
And bears our best-loved things away,

And then we call them dead. LORD LYTTON.

July 4.

If you well apply the present time,

You need not be apprehensive of the future.
GEO. HERBERT.

I do not myself believe in misfortune; anything to which men give the name is merely the shadow-side of a good. GEO. MACDONALD.

Let her be an heir of heaven, so shall she help thee

on thy way;

For those that are one in faith, fight double-handed against evil. Proverbial Philosophy: TUPPER.

Let Thy holy angels stand by, may they strongly assist and protect me, and gently, tenderly receive me, and carry me with rejoicing to the Heavenly Paradise.

THOMAS À KEMPIS.

To death we owe, that 'tis to man

A blessing to be born.

YOUNG'S Night Thoughts.

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