Great Throughts Treasury

"Self-respect is at the bottom of all good manners. They are the expression of discipline, of good-will, of respect for other people's rights and comfort and feelings."

"Egotism - Without him still this whirling earth Might spin its course around the sun, And death still dog the heels of birth, And life be lived, and duty done. Without him let the rapt earth dree What doom its twin rotations earn; Whither or whence, are naught to me, Save as his being they concern. Comets may crash, or inner fire Burn out and leave an arid crust, Or earth may lose Cohesion’s tire, And melt to planetary dust. It ’s naught to me if he ’s not here, I ’ll not lament, nor even sigh; I shall not feel the jar, nor fear, For I am he, and he is I. "

"A Little Brother of the Rich - To put new shingles on old roofs; To give old women wadded skirts; To treat premonitory coughs With seasonable flannel shirts; To soothe the stings of poverty And keep the jackal from the door,— These are the works that occupy The Little Sister of the Poor. She carries, everywhere she goes, Kind words and chickens, jams and coals; Poultices for corporeal woes, And sympathy for downcast souls: Her currant jelly, her quinine, The lips of fever move to bless; She makes the humble sick-room shine With unaccustomed tidiness. A heart of hers the instant twin And vivid counterpart is mine; I also serve my fellow-men, Though in a somewhat different line. The Poor, and their concerns, she has Monopolized, because of which It falls to me to labor as A Little Brother of the Rich. For their sake at no sacrifice Does my devoted spirit quail; I give their horses exercise; As ballast on their yachts I sail. Upon their tallyhos I ride And brave the chances of a storm; I even use my own inside To keep their wines and victuals warm. Those whom we strive to benefit Dear to our hearts soon grow to be; I love my Rich, and I admit That they are very good to me. Succor the Poor, my sisters,—I, While heaven shall still vouchsafe me health, Will strive to share and mollify The trials of abounding wealth. "

"Will The Real You Please Stand Up?! - Submit to pressure from your peers and you move down to their level. Speak up for your own beliefs and you invite them up to your level. If you move with the crowd, you’ll get to further than the crowd. When 40 million people believe in a dumb idea, it’s still a dumb idea. Simply swimming with the tide leaves you nowhere. So if you believe in something that’s good, honest, and bright--—stand up for it. Maybe your peers will get smart and drift your way. Within my earthly temple there's a crowd; There's one of us that's humble, one that's proud, There's one that's broken-hearted for his sins, There's one that unrepentant sits and grins; There's one that loves his neighbor as himself, And one that cares for naught but fame and pelf. From such corroding care I should be free If I could once determine whish is me! "

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow."

"Those who we strive to benefit Dear to our hearts soon grow to be; I love my Rich, and I admit That they are very good to me. Succor the poor, my sisters,--I While heaven shall still vouchsafe me health Will strive to share and mollify The trials of abounding wealth."

"The little sister of the Poor . . . . The Poor, and their concerns, she has Monopolized, because of which It falls to me to labor as A Little Brother of the Rich. "