_My faith begins where your religion ends,-- In service to mankind. This single thread Is given to guide us through the maze of life. You start at one end, I the other; you, With eyes fixed only upon God, begin With lofty faith, and, seeking but to know And do His will who guides the universe, You find the slender and mysterious thread Leads down to earth, with God's divine command To help your fellowmen; but this to me Is something strangely vague. I see alone The fellowmen, the suffering fellowmen. Yet, with a cup of water in my hand For all who thirst, who knows but I one day, Following faithfully the slender thread, May reach its other end, and kneel at last With you in heaven at the feet of God?_ ALICE WELLINGTON ROLLINS. Our Father in heaven, author of life and light, justice and mercy, liberty and love, we hail with joy and gratitude this new born day, token of Thy presence, good will and continued care. Help us with high ideals, pure thoughts and noble endeavors to hallow Thy name, trusting where we cannot prove, proving where we cannot trust, by a willing service to our fellowmen, ever advancing by faith, by works, with a strong heart, a firm step, a generous hand, a sunny smile, and a cheering voice, until we all come into the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. HENRY N. COUDEN. January 25 _If you would have sunlight in your home, see that you have work in it: that you work yourself and set others to work. Nothing makes moroseness and heavy-heartedness in a house so fast as idleness. The very children gloom and sulk if they are left with nothing to do. Every day there is the light of something conquered in the eyes of those who work. In such a house, if there be also the good temper of love, sunshine never ceases. For in it the great law of humanity is obeyed, a law which is also God's law. For what said Christ, "My Father worketh hitherto and I work." Sunlight comes with work._ STOPFORD A. BROOKE. O Thou, who art the source of light and life, we pause in Thy presence at the opening of the day, that in the light of thy countenance we may see ourselves as we are and as we ought to be, and receive the inspiration to consecrated effort and worthy achievement. We thank Thee that Thou hast done so much for us and yet left so much for us to do. May we think how important are these lives we are going to live today; that no matter how small we are, this universe in all its majesty can never be complete without our effort, and Thou, Almighty God, art waiting with infinite patience for us to do our part. Thus shall our work, however humble, be glorified by a Godlike temper and a Christlike faith. Amen. FREDERICK A. BISBEE. January 26