It is monotony which eats the heart out of joy, destroys the buoyancy of the spirit, and turns hope to ashes; it is monotony which saps the vitality of the emotions; depletes the energy of the will, and finally turns the miracle of daily existence into dreary commonplace. And monotony has its roots, not in our conditions, but in ourselves.--_Hamilton Wright Mabie._ Begin, therefore, with little things. Is it a little oil spilt or a little wine stolen? Say to yourself, this is the price paid for peace and tranquillity; and nothing is to be had for nothing. And when you call your servant, consider that it is possible he may not come at your call, or, if he does, that he may not do what you wish. But it is not at all desirable for him, and very undesirable for you, that it should be in his power to cause you any disturbance.--_Epictetus._ Let us never forget that an act of goodness is of itself an act of happiness. No reward coming after the event can compare with the sweet reward that went with it.--_Maurice Materlinck._ I said, “I will go out and look for mine enemies,” and that day I found no friends. Again, I said, “I will go out and look for my friends,” and that day I found no enemies.--_Gertrude R. Lewis._ Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy mind, for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.--_Marcus Aurelius._ Have faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.--_Confucius._ “If you will call your ‘troubles’ ‘experiences,’ and remember that every experience develops some latent force within you, you will grow vigorous and happy, however adverse your circumstances may seem to be.” Wanting to have a friend is altogether different from wanting to be a friend. The former is a mere natural human craving, the latter is the life of Christ in the soul.--_J. R. Miller._ When we cultivate thoughts of strength for others, we ourselves grow strong. Habitual thoughts of peace bring us tranquillity.--_C. B. Newcomb._ All high happiness has in it some element of love; all love contains a desire for peace. One immediate effect of new happiness is to make us turn toward the past with a wish to straighten out its difficulties, heal its breaches and forgive its wrongs.--_James Lane Allen._ When I am very weary I do not try to pray. I only shut my eyes, and wait To hear what God will say. Such rest it is to wait for Him As comes no other way. --_Alice E. Worcester._ You have not fulfilled every duty unless you have fulfilled that of being pleasant.--_Charles Buxton._ We do a great deal of shirking in this life on the ground of not being geniuses.--_Rose E. Cleveland._ We never know for what God is preparing us in His schools--for what work on earth, for what work in the hereafter. Our business is to do our work well in the present place, whatever that may be.--_Dr. Lyman Abbott._