He whom no praise can reach is aye Men's least attempts approving; Whom justice makes all-merciful Omniscience makes all-loving. How thou canst think so well of us Yet be the God thou art, Is darkness to my intellect, But sunshine to my heart. Yet habits linger in the soul; More grace, O Lord! more grace! More sweetness from thy loving heart! More sunshine from thy face! The discord is within, which jars So sadly in life's song; 'Tis we, not they, who are in fault, When others seem so wrong. 'Tis we who weigh upon ourselves; Self is the irksome weight; To those who can see straight themselves, All things look always straight. My God, with what surpassing love Thou lovest all on earth; How good the least good is to thee, How much each soul is worth! All bitterness is from ourselves; All sweetness is from thee; Sweet God! for evermore be thou Fountain and fire in me! --Frederick William Faber. HOW TO JUDGE "Judge the people by their actions"--tis a rule you often get-- "Judge the actions by their people" is a wiser maxim yet. Have I known you, brother, sister? Have I looked into your heart? Mingled with your thoughts my feelings, taken of your life my part? Through the warp of your convictions sent the shuttle of my thought Till the web became the Credo, for us both, of Should and Ought? Seen in thousand ways your nature, in all act and look and speech? By that large induction only I your law of being reach. Now I hear of this wrong action--what is that to you and me? Sin within you may have done it--fruit not nature to the tree. Foreign graft has come to bearing--mistletoe grown on your bough-- If I ever really knew you, then, my friend, I know you now. So I say, "He never did it," or, "He did not so intend"; Or, "Some foreign power o'ercame him"--so I judge the action, friend. Let the mere outside observer note appearance as he can; We, more righteous judgment passing, test each action by its man. --James Freeman Clarke. "TO KNOW ALL IS TO FORGIVE ALL" If I knew you and you knew me, If both of us could clearly see, And with an inner sight divine The meaning of your heart and mine, I'm sure that we would differ less, And clasp our hands in friendliness; Our thoughts would pleasantly agree If I knew you and you knew me. --Nixon Waterman. KINDNESS A little word in kindness spoken, A motion, or a tear, Has often healed the heart that's broken And made a friend sincere. A word, a look, has crushed to earth Full many a budding flower, Which, had a smile but owned its birth, Would bless life's darkest hour.