Items of Interest.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 445, 27 October 1904, Page 7

Items of Interest.

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IT is the habitual thought that frsmes itself into our life. It affects us even more than our intimate social relations do. —J. W. Teal.

Make new friends: keep to the old, Those are silver, these are gold.

See that you have enough of the little virtues and common fidelities and you need not mourn because you are neither a renowned hero nor a saint.

A hero—as though one should say—a mar* of high achievements," who performs famous exploits, who does things that are heroical, and in all his actions and demeanour, is a hero indeed.—Brooke.

Every individual will be the happier the more clearly he understands that his vocation consists, not in exacting services from others, but in ministering to others, in giving his life the ransom of many. A man who does this will be worthy of his food, and not fail to have it.—Tolstoi.

Think truly and thy thoughts Shall the world's famine feed : Speak truly, and each word of thine Shall be a fruitful seed ; Live truly and thy life shall be A great and noble creed. —Horatious Bonar

To select any particular variety of reading as best for all is as absurd as tc say that every man ought to be a priest, or that every man ought to be a soldier. But this I may say ;—Take hold anywhere, read what you really like, and not what someone tells you that you ought to like ; let your reading be part of your lives.—Leslie Stephen.

Let us then obey the times, let us neither obstinately persist in upholding what is already decayed, nor be too eager to establish what as yet is only preparing. Let us every day do that which tho day requires ; and in consolidating our liberty, the paronrt of all good,- let us be faithful to justice, which is of all ages; and let us not forget, that consolation and indulgence form a part of that justice which we owe to those who differ from us in opinion.—B. Constant.

One of the great laws of our nature, and a law singularly important to social beings, is that the intellect enlarges and strengthens itself by expressing worthily its best views. In this, as in other respects, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Superior minds are formed, not merely by solitary thought, but almost as much by communication. Great thoughts are never fully possessed till he who has conceived them has given them fit utterance. One of the noblest and most invigorating labours of genius is to clothe its conceptions in clear and glorious forms, and give them existence in other souls.

Shoddy work is not only a wrong to a man's own personal integrity, hurting his character, but also it is a wrong to society. Truthfulness in work is as much demanded as truthfulness in speech. False and sham work of every kind is a sin against brotherly love ; for somebody suffers for it somehow. We can never tell who will suffer, as when a ship springs a leak through badly driven rivets, or when cheapness is got by adulterating food. Truthfulness in work applies all round, and in all sorts of work. Some men will steal their master's time who would never steal his money ; but perfect honesty has a wider sweep than the narrow limits of our common ethics. - —Hugh Black;

The prospect of a future state is the secret comfort and refreshment of my soul; it is that which makes nature look gay about me ; it doubles all my pleasures and supports me under all my afflictions; I can look at disappointments and misfortune and pain and sickness and death itself, and what is worse than death the loss of those who are dearest to me, with indifference, so long as I keep in view the pleasures of eternity, and the state of being in which there will be no fears nor apprehensions nor pains nor sorrow, nor sickness nor separation. . . Why will any man be so impertinently officious as to tell me all t! is is only fancy and delusion? Is merit in being the messenger of all ySws ? If it be a delusion, let me enjoy In and since it makes me both the happier" and better man,—Addison. V'