Let no man extend his thoughts, or let his hopes wander, towards future and far distant events and accidental contingencies.   This day is mine and yours, but ye know not what shall be on the morrow.

For he that by a present and a constant holiness secures the present, and makes it useful to his noblest purposes, he turns his condition to his best advantage.

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, 

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools 

The way to dusty death.

Hoyse up sail while gale doth last, 

Tide and wind stay no man’s pleasure;

Seeke not time when time is past;

Sober speed is wisdom’s leisure.

After-wits are dearly boughte,

Let thy fore-wit guide thy thoughte.

The kindly welcome given to my other little books, ‘Being and Doing’ and ‘Character and Conduct,’ must be my excuse for adding another collection of extracts to the number now in circulation.

The quotations are gathered from the books of many earnest thinkers, and deal with Life in all its length and breadth, with ourselves, our characters, our plain unvarnished faults and weaknesses, our often untoward circumstances, and with all that drags us down;-  with our purposes, our religion, our love and friendships, and with all that uplifts us;-  with our relation to others, our influence and responsibilities, and finally with those stages of our journey which bring us to the Road’s Last Turn and to the Silent Land.