My little fire is cheerful, Unchanging in its grace. Whatever be the weather, It keeps a shining face. It always has a welcome For such as seek its hearth, Afar from all the struggles And strivings of the earth. It seems so understanding. When ill has gone the day And I recount my troubles, It laughs them all away. So I forget the fever Of false and vain desire, And find that life is blessed Beside my little fire. [Illustration of a man seated in front of hearth. He’s dressed in suit and tie, smiling, and bent forward resting his elbows on his thighs. The left hand holds long tongs pointed at the fire, and his chin rests in his right hand. The hearth’s grate has two owl-shaped decorations, and a log carrier with extra logs sits nearby. A plant is on the mantle. The background has a window--drape open--decorated with a wreath. A candelabrum with five lit candles is in front of the window, and both ends are flanked by a candlestick with a lit candle. The artist’s cursive signature makes the name uncertain.] Thankfulness (1929) I HEARD a tiny sound to-day. The flowers all had stopped to pray. Lily, and rose, and goldenrod And violet were thanking God. For what? The sun, and rain, and dew, That had not failed the season through, The soil, the winds with their caress; And simple daily happiness. I blushed, whose thought had found no wings To thank God for the simple things. No sudden fortune had bestowed On me a rich and golden load. But I had known the rain, the sun, Shelter and rest when day was done, Raiment, and food, and happy hours. I was less thankful than the flowers. “Whatever he may wish or plan” (1929) Whatever he may wish or plan, Three things will make or break a man: The work to which he gives his hand, To make a living in the land. The friends to whom his heart gives toll, Whose shadows fall across his soul. The goal by which through toil and strife He gives direction to his life. APPENDIX 1: BYLINES, BIBLIOGRAPHY, NOTES After-Images. Byline: Clarence E. Flynn. Source: _Motion Picture Magazine_. Vol. 23 No. 6. Jamaica, NY: Brewster Publications, Inc., Jul 1922. p. 7. Note: Title’s case changed from all caps. The Age of a Heart. Byline: Clarence E. Flynn. Source: _Personal Efficiency_. Vol. 15 No. 1. Chicago: LaSalle Extension University, Jan 1925. p. 37. Note: Illustrated dropped initial in first verse normalized for e-readers. Almost. Byline: Clarence E. Flynn. Princeton, Ind. Source: _The Christian Advocate_. Vol. 97 No. 39. New York: The Methodist Book Concern, Sep 28, 1922. p. 1211 Along the Road. Byline: Clarence E. Flynn. Source: _Miami Daily Metropolis_. Vol. 27 No. 161. Miami, FL: Metropolis Publishing Co., Jun 17, 1922. p. 6