Life and Existence

Age does not make us childish, as they say. It only finds us true children still.

Age does not make us childish, as they say. It only finds us true children still.

A useless life is an early death.

A useless life is an early death.

One lives but once in the world.

No voice divine the storm allayed, When, snatched from all effectual aid, But I beneath a rougher sea, And whelmed in deeper gulfs than he.

Toll for the brave— The brave! that are no more; All sunk beneath the wave, Fast by their native shore!

There is in souls a sympathy with sounds; And as the mind is pitch’d the ear is pleas’d With melting airs or martial, brisk, or grave: Some chord in unison with what we hear Is touch’d within us, and the heart replies.

From reveries so airy, from the toil Of dropping buckets into empty wells, And growing old in drawing nothing up.

Variety’s the very spice of life.

Absence of occupation is not rest, A mind quite vacant is a mind distress’d.

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.

Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

Oh! for a closer walk with God.

How happy he who crowns in shades like these, A youth of labor with an age of ease.

How happy he who crowns in shades like these, A youth of labor with an age of ease.

His best companions, innocence and health; And his best riches, ignorance of wealth.

The only art her guilt to cover, To hide her shame from every eye, To give repentance to her lover, And wring his bosom, is—to die.

The naked every day he clad When he put on his clothes.

They please, are pleas’d, they give to get esteem, Till, seeming blest, they grow to what they seem. 2

For he counteracts the Devil, who is Death, by brisking about the life.

For I will consider my Cat Jeoffrey, For he is the servant of the Living God, duly and daily serving him.

And now the matchless deed’s achiev’d, Determin’d, dar’d, and done.

Where ask is have, where seek is find, Where knock is open wide.