To See the Human Soul Take Wing April 18, 1954
In The Prisoner of Chillon, Lord Byron said in the awesome words of a classic couplet: Oh, God! it is a fearful thing To see the human soul take wing.¹ Fearful, yes–but just so surely as our loved...
A Matter of Semantics… April 25, 1954
Perhaps it has always been so; certainly during our day it seems increasingly to have been so: that custom and connotation have changed the meaning of words, and that men have found new ways for...
Mark the End… May 2, 1954
There are times and moments in life when people seem to have arrived at what they want—when the plans and purposes they have pursued seem to have been successful. But this we learn, sooner or later:...
A Woman Set Apart… May 9, 1954
In one account of the courtship of Elizabeth Barrett she replied to the poet Robert Browning, that she should not marry because of her physical frailty; that if she should, as she poignantly put it,...
On Seeing Things Through May 16, 1954
One of the indispensable elements of a sincerely successful life is the ability, the power, the capacity and the willingness to see things through⎯to carry things beyond conversation to conclusion....
The Coming of Commencement… May 23, 1954
The coming of each commencement calls to mind the passing of another year so swiftly and so soon and suggests once more to all of us that we ought to start early to do what we ought to be doing. A...
Remembrance… May 30, 1954
Remembrance is a mark of a thoughtful, grateful man⎯but sometimes it is acute and cutting, as suggested by Shakespeare: “How sharp the point of this remembrance is!” he said. Remembrance...
Beginning Together June 6, 1954
Often young married people who are beginning together become discouraged because they can’t begin where their parents “left off.” There are many things they want, and working and...
The Deeper Kind of Differences… June 13, 1954
For you who have already made your marriage, there is simply this to be said: Make it work. In marriage there is no ready-made formula for success. It requires character and consideration, honor and...
For Fathers… June 20, 1954
Much of life is made up of things we think we will one day do: of things we postpone, of things we set aside, of things we leave too late. And one of the things we could best determine to do would...
When to Say It--and When to Be Silent June 27, 1954
As was observed many centuries ago: There is “a time to every purpose . . . ” And there are times when some things should be said, and times to keep silent. There are times when we are...
Thank God for Freedom July 4, 1954
May we take a moment from some of the side issues and clear our thoughts and humble our hearts and get down on our knees and simply, fervently, thank God for freedom and then get on our feet with a...
On Getting What We Ask For… July 11, 1954
No doubt we have all observed children who insist on having something they see right now—something they have their hearts set upon. And for the moment life seems very unhappy if they can’t...
On Influencing Others July 25, 1954
Fashion is one evidence of the influence people have on other people. Benjamin Franklin said: It seems that there are those “who, perhaps, fear less the being in hell than out of...
Saving Ourselves August 1, 1954
There is much emphasis these days on “saving” ourselves, at least in a mental and physical sense. Blessedly, we have machines that do the work of millions of men from the moving of...
The Law of Harvest--the Law of Return August 8, 1954
Here is a simple statement of the law of harvest, of the law of return: “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” In plain, inelegant language, it is the...
Not From Fear… August 15, 1954
There are many factors that go into the making of men; and some, such as fear and love, are as different as light and darkness. There is a question as to just how much fear can do in the making of a...
Physician, Heal Thyself… August 22, 1954
One of the challenging statements made by the Master was the one wherein He repeated the proverb: “Physician, heal thyself.” There is an interesting idea that sometimes seems to be...
On Becoming Bored With Work August 29, 1954
“I thank God each morning, that I can get on the bus and go to work.” Thus a recent thoughtful visitor, explained his blessings with this simple sentence. Simple as it is, or at least...
Do We Have Our Freedom? September 5, 1954
Perhaps all of us at times have questions concerning freedom—especially you people who feel too closely tied, too closely tethered, and who sometimes seem to feel that freedom should mean the right...