Precept and Practice – DECEMBER 16 – Nature leads us to Rest
As a fond mother, when the day is o’er,
Leads by the hand her little child to bed,
Half willing, half reluctant to be led
And leave his broken playthings on the floor, Still gazing at them through the open door, Nor wholly reassured and comforted
By promises of others in their stead,
Which though more splendid may not please him more.
So nature deals with us, and takes away
Our playthings one by one, and by the hand Leads us to rest, so gently that we go
Scarce knowing if we wished to go or stay;
Being too full of sleep to understand
How far the unknown transcends the what we know.
(Longfellow)
oooOOOooo
From the Introduction to Precept and Practice
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.
CONSTANCE M. WHISHAW
Suffolk Vicar 