A Prayer DECEMBER 30 "Be patient still; suffer us yet a while longer; with our broken purposes of good, with our idle endeavours against evil, suffer us a while longer to endure, and (if it may be) help us to do better. Bless to us our extraordinary mercies; if the day come when these must be taken, brace us to play the man under affliction. Be with our friends; be with ourselves. Go with each of us to rest; if any dream, be their dreams quiet; if any awake, temper to them the dark hours of watching; and when the day returns, return to us our sun and comforter, and call us up with morning faces and with morning hearts--eager to labour--eager to be happy, if happiness shall be our portion--and if the day be marked for sorrow, strong to endure it." _Vailima Prayers_, R. L. STEVENSON. New Year's Eve DECEMBER 31 "Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. "Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. "Ring out the grief that saps the mind, For those that here we see no more; Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. "Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. "Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes, But ring the fuller minstrel in. "Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good. "Ring out old shapes of foul disease; Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. "Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be." TENNYSON. INDEX OF SUBJECTS Accidie, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 Accuracy, 185 Age, 361, 362 Appetite for Condolence, The, 310 Argument, 195, 196, 197 Art of Being Quiet, The, 30, 31 As Light enters Darkness departs, 297 Aspiration, 306 Back-biting, 190 Balance, 170, 171 Bearing Criticism, 155 Bearing Sorrow, 256, 257, 258, 259 Bearing Trouble, 322 Beauties of Nature, 333 Beautiful, Sense of, 334 Beauty, The Gospel of, 335 Being and Doing, 24, 25 Bereavement, 246, 247 Blessed are the Happiness-makers, 134 Books, 339, 340 Business-like Habits, 36 By their Works, 272 Calamity, Sharp Ferule of, 311 Calumny, 158, 159 Causes of Thankfulness, 324, 325 Celestial Surgeon, The, 18 Character, 138